USA presses western partners over Iran resolution

The USA criticized the "too mild" position of some European countries on the issue of Iran's nuclear programs, a source in the American delegation participating in the session of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna said to a corresondent.

According to the source, US Undersecretary of State John Bolton sent a letter to the German, French and British governments. He "called on those countries to change their position in the IAEA Board of Governors and not to harm the joint efforts that are to make Tehran fulfill the commitments it undertook in the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and in deed, not in word, give up its programs to develop an A-bomb of its own." During the session of the IAEA Board of Governors, which has been held for a second day in the IAEA Vienna HQ, "the US delegation uses 'tough language' to adopt a resolution accusing Iran of non-observance of NPT provisions and of hiding from the IAEA its projects on non-peaceful use of the atom," the source said.

New Zealand, Canada and some other countries back the US position in regard to Iran at the Board of Governors session.

On their part, German, French and British representatives are of an opinion that the resolution on Iranian nuclear programs must be mild, as there's progress in Tehran-IAEA relations, which was repeatedly voiced by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.