Feb. 4, 2006, Vienna (Stop Fundamentalism) — The IAEA voted Saturday to refer Iran to the Security Council over its clandestine nuclear activities.
The 35-nation board of governors voted 27 positive, 3 negatives, and 5 abstaining.
The Security Council may now defer acting until March 6, when the IAEA meets again.
“Iran would have no other choice but to suspend all the voluntary measures and extra cooperation with the agency†should it be sent to the Security Council, the country’s National Security Council secretary Ali Larijani, wrote in a letter to the IAEA.
Iran’s withdrawal of cooperation would mean that the Vienna- based IAEA would no longer be able to conduct spot inspections of Iranian nuclear sites or have ready access to people and documents. Iran isn’t threatening to withdraw from the nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, meaning that scheduled IAEA inspections would continue at declared nuclear sites.
A referral would also put an end to a Russian offer to enrich Iranian uranium on Russian soil, Iranian diplomat Javad Vaidi said at a news conference today. Adopting the resolution would “kill the Russian proposal,†Vaidi told reporters yesterday in Vienna. ElBaradei called the Russian idea “very attractive,†and the U.S. has endorsed it.
The resolution calls on Iran to open military sites to UN inspectors and account for documents, related to the procurement of machinery and equipment for its nuclear program that the Iranians haven’t produced. Iran was found in “non-compliance†with its treaty obligations by the IAEA board of governors in September.
The IAEA “calls on Iran to understand that there is a lack of confidence in Iran’s intentions,†the resolution says. It calls on the IAEA to “clarify possible activities which could have a military nuclear dimension.â€
