IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei

The Foreign Ministry statement read on state television came two days after the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution that put Iran on the verge of referral to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions unless Tehran eases suspicions about its nuclear activities.

Iran insists its nuclear program is designed for generating electricity and rejected the IAEA resolution as "political, illegal and illogical" and orchestrated by the United States.

Its statement repeated a warning that a referral to the Security Council may force Iran to reduce IAEA powers to inspect its nuclear activities under an additional protocol to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which it has signed but not yet ratified.

The protocol allows short-notice, more intrusive inspections of nuclear facilities by the IAEA. Iran had been allowing the inspections but has said the additional protocol must be approved by Parliament and the Guardian Council, Iran's constitutional watchdog.

Tehran had earlier threatened that it could also respond to the resolution by restarting uranium enrichment -- a possible path to nuclear arms. Iran resumed uranium conversion early in August, a step prior to enrichment.

Washington warned Tehran Sept. 26 that it has one chance left to avoid referral for possible economic sanctions. The resolution could lead to Iran's referral to the U.N. Security Council as early as November for violating the NPT.

Iran is being told to suspend all uranium enrichment activities including uranium conversion, to give up construction of a heavy water nuclear reactor and to give agency experts access to certain research and development locations and documentation.

The resolution also demands that Iran immediately ratify the additional protocol to the NPT.

Iran has repeatedly said that the NPT allows it to pursue such activities for peaceful purposes, and that it won't give up the right to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel.

The Japan Times Weekly: Oct. 1, 2005
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