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Washington Believes More Iranian Nuclear Secrets Will Surface
U.S. officials believe that new information will surface in coming months to show that Iran is not complying with its nonproliferation commitments, Reuters reported last week (see GSN, Nov. 26). “I think there is going to be material and disclosures over the next few months that will show Iran is still in violation,” a U.S. official said. “I don’t know what will be the first point to break. We’re most concerned about Iran’s enrichment program and whether Iran owned up to all details of that program,” he added. Washington expects to receive more information on secret Iranian efforts from dissident groups or friendly governments. “Every few months we seem to discover new Iranian nuclear facilities. … I think more facilities will come to light,” the U.S. official said (Reuters, Nov. 26). Washington has been trying to bring the Iranian nuclear controversy to the U.N. Security Council. The International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors recently chastised Iran for covert nuclear development but did not forward the issue to the council. Some experts believe that the IAEA’s current mix of diplomacy and intimidation could bring Iran to abandon suspected plans for nuclear weapons development. “Unlike North Korea, Iran minds being branded an international outlaw,” said Robert Einhorn, who served as assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation under former U.S. President Bill Clinton. “It recognizes that its plans for a better future depend on reintegration into the world community and that being branded an international pariah would not be consistent with those plans,” he added (Brian Whitmore, Boston Globe, Nov. 30). Iran, meanwhile, announced Saturday that it will not discard its plans for uranium enrichment. “Our uranium enrichment program has been suspended voluntarily, temporarily, to build trust,” said Hassan Rohani, Iran’s national security chief. “The issue of ending uranium enrichment is not in question and never has been, nor will be,” he added. Rohani also said that whatever inspections U.N. officials want to conduct, “they can do, because they will come to the conclusion that Iran’s nuclear activities are peaceful” (Paul Hughes, Reuters, Nov. 30).
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