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Iranian Nuclear Discoveries Raises Doubts Over Peaceful Intentions
The recent discoveries made by international nuclear inspectors working in Iran have cast doubt on Tehran’s pledge of seeking only a peaceful civilian nuclear power program, diplomatic officials said yesterday (see GSN, Feb. 19). Last week, international inspectors discovered designs for a previously unknown Iranian uranium enrichment program, according to the Washington Post. In addition, a small number of complete P-2 advanced enrichment centrifuges have been found at one Iranian location, and machine tools used to produce centrifuge components have been found at a different site described as a “military-related” facility, the Post reported. Tests conducted on centrifuge equipment have found traces of two distinct types of highly enriched uranium, according to U.S. and European experts. One type is believed to have originated in Pakistan, with the origin of the other still unknown, the Post reported. The discoveries will be included in a report set to be soon released by the International Atomic Energy Agency. A Vienna-based diplomat said the agency report would provide “evidence that the Iranians’ dossier was neither complete nor correct.” A U.S. State Department official said yesterday that the agency’s Board of Governors would probably not refer the matter to the U.N. Security Council, despite the recent discoveries, because of a reluctance to impose tough measures against Tehran. The finds, however, have damaged chances for improved U.S.-Iranian relations, the official said. “It was always the hope that you could lead them away from the conclusion that they needed a nuclear weapon through a policy of inducements. But it’s starting to look more and more like they want the inducements and the bomb,” the State Department official said (Slevin/Warrick, Washington Post, Feb. 20). White House press secretary Scott McClellan said yesterday that the recent Iranian discoveries “raise serious concerns,” and reiterated the U.S. assessment that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons. “We have always stated our belief that Iran is developing a nuclear weapons program under the cover of pursuing nuclear power for peaceful reasons. A country with the vast oil and gas resources of Iran has no legitimate need for nuclear energy, and full confidence about Iran’s nuclear program requires Iran to abandon uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities,” McClellan said (U.S. State Department release, Feb. 19). Iran today, however, issued a broad denial of allegations that it was seeking a nuclear bomb. “There was a report that they found (nuclear equipment) parts in some military base, which was not true,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. “What we have is a research project that hasn’t been implemented yet. There are no parts in any place in Iran. They are just trying to create a fuss about this,” he said (Reuters, Feb. 20).
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