Posted on Tue, Jul. 27, 2004





Diplomats: Iran resumes nuclear program

GEORGE JAHN

Associated Press


VIENNA, Austria - Iran has broken the U.N. nuclear watchdog's seals on
centrifuge equipment and resumed building the devices, which are key to
making nuclear weapons, in a show of defiance against international efforts
to monitor its program, diplomats said Tuesday.

The United States and its allies accuse Iran of working on a weapons
program, something Tehran denies. It says its centrifuges are part of a
nuclear program aimed solely at producing energy.

Under international pressure last year, the Islamic republic agreed to stop
enriching uranium and making centrifuges used for enrichment. But after the
International Atomic Energy Agency rebuked it in June for not being open
enough about its nuclear program, Tehran responded by saying it would end
the suspension on building centrifuges.

The diplomats, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that several weeks
ago, Iranian officials broke IAEA seals on the equipment and restarted the
process of assembling and installing centrifuges.

The diplomats cautioned against equating Iran's move with the removal of
IAEA seals on nuclear equipment by North Korea two years ago as it expelled
agency inspectors and declared itself no longer bound by the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty.

The agency was informed of Iran's decision to break the seals, which -
unlike in North Korea - "were not a legal requirement" on the part of
Tehran, one of the diplomats told The Associated Press.

Iran still was respecting its pledge not to resume nuclear enrichment, which
can be used to generate power or make warheads, said the diplomat, who is
familiar with Tehran's nuclear dossier.

Still, the move reflected Iranian defiance of international constraints on
its nuclear program that have included more than a year of stringent IAEA
inspections. Those inspections have come up with evidence strengthening
suspicions about Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

Iran suspended the centrifuge activity under a deal with Britain, France and
Germany, which have been trying to find a negotiated resolution on Iran's
nuclear program.

But the removal of the seals could push the Europeans closer to the United
States' position, which is to haul Iran before the U.N. Security Council for
allegedly violating the Nonproliferation Treaty. That could lead to U.N.
sanctions against Iran.

Earlier this month, Washington called for a special session of the IAEA
Board of Governors but could not get support from Britain and other close
allies, said another diplomat.

The Security Council can only get involved if the board asks it to take up
Iran's case.

Washington hoped the resumption of Iran's nuclear activities would give them
the backing they need at the next regular board session, which starts Sept.
13, the diplomat said.

Iran has not publicly announced that it has resumed building centrifuges.
But President Mohammad Khatami told reporters in Tehran earlier this month
that "there is no impediment to doing this work."

Sources at Iran's state-run television recently told the AP that the
country's top nuclear negotiator, Hasan Rowhani, said Iran restarted
building centrifuges June 29 but that the broadcaster was told not to show
it. Apparently, there were concerns about international criticism of Iran.

IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei said last month he hoped Iran would
reverse its decision to restart building centrifuges.

Khatami and other Iranian officials say the Europeans broke the deal under
which Iran suspended its nuclear activities. Khatami said the three European
powers promised to work toward closing Iran's file with the IAEA by June if
Iran stopped making centrifuges. Iran stopped doing so in April, but the
IAEA issued a sharply phrased resolution at its June meeting indicating it
felt too many unanswered questions remained.

Most of the concerns focus on the source of traces of highly enriched
uranium found at several sites and the extent and nature of work on the
advanced P-2 centrifuge, used to enrich uranium.

Iran has acknowledged working with the P-2, but said its activities were
purely experimental. It says the minute amounts of enriched uranium were
from equipment bought on the nuclear black market.

ElBaradei has indirectly questioned such assertions, suggesting that at
least in one instance uranium enriched to 36 percent - not yet weapons-grade
but higher than needed for energy generation - appeared to have been
enriched domestically.

A report written by him also said Iran inquired about buying thousands of
magnets on the black market - substantially more than Tehran needed for what
it said was purely a centrifuge research program. ElBaradei has said Iran
expressed interest in 100,000 magnets.