The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided Wednesday to seek the UN Security Council's support to resolve the Iran's nuclear issue, at the close of the Agency's Board meeting in Vienna.
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei will convey a report on Iran's nuclear energy program to the Council for consideration. He said that the Board agreed that Iran needs to be more transparent, its nuclear programme lacks confidence in peaceful nature, and all parties involved should look for a peaceful political solution.
Last Monday before the Board meeting, Mr. ElBaradei told reporters at a press briefing that the Middle East situation is "highly, highly volatile".
He was hoping to get all parties to negotiate again but failed. He said that the IAEA needs to engage the Security Council to support the Agency in finding a peaceful solution and there is not other option. He appealed to Iran to cooperate, and exercise more transparency like allowing access to people and document so that they can get themselves of the hole where they are today.
For the past 3 years, the UN nuclear supervisory agency has been investigating Iran's nuclear programme after it became known in 2002, that Iran has secretly imported nuclear material and engaged in extensive nuclear research and uranium enrichment programmes for 18 years. Iran's failure to report to the agency led to suspicions that it intends produce nuclear weapons.
In May 2003 Iran also revealed its intention to construct a heavy water research reactor at Arak, which is capable of producing plutonium, an element used for power generation as well as nuclear weapon production.
Iran claims that its nuclear programme is within the framework of the IAEA and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and it is exercising its undeniable rights to peaceful use of nuclear technology.
After pressure from England, France and Germany, Iran volunteered to suspend its uranium enrichment programme in November 2004. Meanwhile IAEA investigators continued their inspection of Iranian nuclear facilities. Iran has nuclear plants in Nathanz, Isfahan, Bushehr and Arak, and research centers in Teheran, Bonab and Ramsar.
The IAEA has been dissatisfied with the cooperation from Iranian authorities. On 10 January 2006, Iran resumed its uranium enrichment programme that has been suspended voluntarily for more than a year, creating concern in the international community.
"Everybody understands that escalation is not going to help a situation that is highly, highly volatile right now in the Middle East. What everybody would like to see is a balance between Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and assurance to the International community that that program is exclusively for peaceful purposes," said ElBaradei.
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