Iran - Current Issues

Due to the devastation brought on by the Iran-Iraq war, Iran significantly increased its efforts to develop "weapons of mass destruction" in order to defend itself. Iran ratified the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970, and has allowed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to inspect its nuclear facilities since February 1992. The IAEA reported in 2003 that Iran had hidden a uranium enrichment program for 18 years. Western members of the IAEA called on Iran to commit itself to stopping all enrichment activities permanently, but it has refused to do so and has now abandoned a temporary ban as well. These countries want Iran reported to the Security Council under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on the grounds that its past behavior broke the treaty and it cannot now be trusted.

Diplomatic Negotiating

On May 31st the United States offered to join direct talks with Iran about its controversial nuclear program. On June 1st the China, France, Russia, the United States, the UK, and Germany (otherwise known as the P5 plus one) agreed on a package of incentives to encourage Iran to join the talks. The package was given to Iran on June 6th and includes the following: Support for civilian nuclear power with the provision of light water nuclear reactors, lift restrictions on the sale to Iran of US made aircraft parts, gain US agricultural technology, and support for Iranian membership of the World Trade Organization. This package was offered on the condition that Iran would have to suspend its uranium enrichment program first.

The US and its allies hoped to have a response before the cycle of G8 meetings on June 29th, 2006. On Wednesday 21 June 2006 Iran's president said a reply to the package would come on 22 August. Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki responded initially by saying that Iran will not "give up" its "natural right" to enrichment. The US and the EU would like to threaten sanctions through the Security Council if Iran does not respond, but Russia and China are reluctant to go down that path.

Iran announced on 11 April 2006 that it had enriched uranium. Iran says the enrichment is to 3.5% which is sufficient for nuclear power fuel and not high enough for a nuclear bomb, which requires enrichment to 80 or 90%. The IAEA duly reported on April 28th 2006 that Iran had not complied with the Security Council demands to: suspend enrichment, reconsider plans for a heavy water reactor, and implement and ratify a previous agreement to allow extra inspections and generally cooperate more. IAEA findings assert that Iran is only a few years away from developing nuclear weapon capabilities.

On Monday July 31st the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment by August 31st, or it will face economic and political sanctions. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad publicly rejected the UN resolution, and the Iranian foreign ministry called the resolution a threat without a legal basis. Ahmadinejad, who made statements calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, blames the U.S. and Britain for the escalated violence in the Middle East.

In response to the UN resolution, Iran's leaders threatened to disrupt oil supplies in the event of a confrontation with the U.S. or the EU over Iran's nuclear program. However, this could prove to be more damaging to Iran than anyone else, as Iran gains about $5 billion per month for its crude oil.

An article in the Taipei Times from Thursday August 3rd, 2006, reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who supports President Ahamdinejad, asserted that the U.S. could "'seriously endanger energy flow in the region' by acting against Iran's nuclear program. Two weeks later, Oil Minister Kazem Vaziri-Hameneh was more specific, saying Iran would use 'all available means, including oil' if its 'interests' came under attack."