Stop Fundamentalism – Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council called on Iran Thursday to fulfill its obligations and ensure the international community of the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. They expressed concern about Tehran’s failure to act on United Nations’ resolutions.
In a statement that was released in Vienna, Tehran was asked to permit international observers to enter important nuclear facilities in Iran. Iran was also asked to provide the UN monitors access to relative information about its nuclear activities.
Western countries believe Iran is using a peaceful, electricity production cover, to advance its nuclear weapons program. European and American authorities have repeatedly emphasized that they will not tolerate a nuclear armed Iran.
Iranian authorities are accused of preventing international observers from the International Atomic Energy Agency or IAEA to visit a nuclear site by the name of “Parchin”. IAEA says Iran is suspected to have tested nuclear triggers at this site which is located inside a military zone and is heavily guarded. A trigger device would not have a civilian application and testing it can only have military aims.
Earlier this week the IAEA released a statement warning there is indisputable evidence that show Iran is in fact producing a nuclear bomb. The nuclear watchdog of the United Nations also expressed concern that Iran maybe taking measures to clean the “Parchin” site of any evidence that would lead inspectors to conclude that they have in fact performed a nuclear warhead trigger test.
The five permanent members of the council stressed in their statement that Iran should provide information that can prove or disprove if it is pursuing a nuclear weapons program.
Iran and the five powers plus Germany met in Istanbul, Turkey last month for discussions about the country’s nuclear goals. The next meeting will be on May 23 in Baghdad. Iran said before the Istanbul meeting that it preferred Baghdad or Damascus as the place to meet next time. Western countries had no objection to meet in Baghdad but they say they expect “sustained process of serious dialogue.”
“We expect that subsequent meetings” said Thursday’s statement “will lead to concrete steps toward a comprehensive negotiated solution which restores international confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program.”
Iran has been under mounting pressures from growing restrictions caused by international sanctions western countries have imposed on it for pursuing nuclear weapons. But the United States and the Europeans say that this country should take specific measures to answer the concerns of the international community before sanctions could be eased.
Iran says it will press for the sanctions to be lifted in the next meeting in Baghdad.
