IAEA Meeting To Vote on Draft Resolution
Geneva, Nov. 27, 09 (Hamsayeh.Net) – IAEA board of governors convenes today to discuss a report compiled by its outgoing chief Mohamad ElBaradei over Iran’s nuclear activities. Based on Western news agencies' reports, six world powers are seemingly unanimous with the resolution that calls on Iran to curb its nuclear program.
Western Powers also want Tehran to accept and ratify a nuclear fuel exchange deal, which from Tehran’s point of view has too many loopholes. Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the IAEA rejected the latest draft resolution calling it ‘counterproductive’ Reuters reports.
The proposed nuclear fuel exchange deal wants to pressure Iran ship most of its safely stored low enriched uranium – manufactured domestically – to other countries for further enrichment process. Tehran however rejects the deal saying it doesn’t provide tangible guarantees and it is uncertain that it would ever take back the higher enriched uranium.
The draft resolution will be put to vote today. If the board passes the resolution it would ask Iran to stop all enrichment activities, stop construction of Ferdow plant and give full access to all nuclear sites for further investigations.
Iran warned though if the anti-Iran vote goes through it would have no other choice but to reduce cooperation with the IAEA. ‘Tehran’s cooperation with the agency would be reduced to the minimum we are legally obliged,’ Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, told German newspaper on Thursday.
Iran is building the Ferdow site as a back up for its much larger nuclear enrichment site in Natanz. Iran also says it soon needs higher enriched uranium for Tehran reactor, which produces all of Iran’s radioisotopes for medical use, because the plant has only another year of fuel to operate.
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