 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Washington (AFP) March 1, 2010 The United States said Monday Iran needed to start answering questions raised in a UN report that states Tehran may be working on a nuclear warhead, rather than criticize the agency. "It would be better for Iran, rather than protesting this report, to come forward in a constructive way and answer the questions that the IAEA has on behalf of the international community as a whole," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday the UN nuclear watchdog lacks independence -- singling out the United States for influencing the body -- ahead of the 35-member meeting this week in Vienna to discuss the new report on Tehran's atomic program. "This is about questions that the world at large has about Iran, the role it's playing in the region, and its nuclear concerns," Crowley said. The IAEA's work "represents not just the concerns the United States has, but the concerns the international community has," he said. The IAEA's most recent report expresses concern at Tehran's nuclear program and says the Islamic republic may "currently" be working on a nuclear warhead. The report also confirms that Iran has started enriching uranium to higher levels, theoretically bringing it close to the levels needed for an atomic bomb. US President Barack Obama reached out to Iran after taking office last year, offering dialogue to help resolve three decades of animosity between the two nations. But his administration's concerns have been growing about Iran's nuclear activities and human rights record. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday said it could take months for new UN sanctions against Iran, as she prepared for talks in Argentina and Brazil about the perceived Iranian nuclear threat. Britain, France and Germany support tougher sanctions against Iran. But China is hesitant and Russia, while critical of Tehran's behavior, says it opposes the type of "crippling" sanctions sought by Israel.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com All about missiles at SpaceWar.com Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
US looks to peacefully resolve Iran showdownWashington (AFP) Feb 26, 2010 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Friday backed a "peaceful" resolution of the nuclear row with Iran as she met Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, whose nation has threatened pre-emptive military strikes against Tehran. Standing next to Barak, Clinton told reporters the United States was working with its international partners to increase pressure on Iran - a reference to fresh UN san ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook