Peak Oil is You
Donate Bitcoins ;-) or Paypal :-)
Page added on May 23, 2012
IAEA Reports Progress in Iran Nuclear Talks
The head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has said he expects to sign a deal with Iran soon on investigating suspected weapons activities connected to the country’s nuclear programme.
Amano also said that Saeed Jalili, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, had assured him that “the existing differences will not be an obstacle to the agreement”.
The IAEA wants access to sites, officials and documents to shed light on activities in Iran that could be used to develop the capability to make nuclear weapons, especially at the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran.
Amano said that access to the Parchin military site would “be addressed”.
Iran has repeatedly said that Parchin is not a designated nuclear site and thus it is not obliged to permit IAEA inspections. Iran has rejected Western accusations that it is removing evidence at the site.
Scepticism over deal
Some Western diplomats have voiced dissatisfaction with the outcome of Amano’s latest negotiations with Iran.
One diplomat told the AFP new agency that there had been “no breakthrough” in Amano’s visit.
Another said the trip appeared disappointing but that they were waiting for a “clearer picture” at meetings in the Austrian capital later on Tuesday.
Israel, which like the U.S. has not ruled out air attacks to stop Iran’s atomic progress if it deems diplomacy has failed, has said it is “highly sceptical” about the latest agreement between the IAEA and Iran.
Amano met the head of Iran’s nuclear energy organisation, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, hours after his pre-dawn arrival on Monday, according to the ISNA news agency.
After the talks, Abbasi-Davani’s office issued a statement saying issues were raised “in a frank manner and proposals were made to remove ambiguities and to develop co-operation,” the AFP news agency reported.
During his visit, Amano also met Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s foreign minister, in advance of a crucial meeting on Iran’s nuclear-weapons programme in Baghdad on Wednesday between Iran and a group of world powers.
In Baghdad, the powers’ main goal will be to get Iran to stop the higher-grade uranium enrichment it started two years ago and has since expanded, shortening the time needed for any weapons bid.
Iran says it needs the uranium enriched to a fissile concentration of 20 per cent for its medical research reactor.
No notable progress
Two meetings between Iran and senior Amano aides in Tehran in January and February failed to make any notable progress.
Such a deal would also not be enough to allay international concerns. World powers want Iran to curb uranium enrichment, which can have both civilian and military purposes.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is intended only to generate electricity and other civilian uses.
Unlike Israel, assumed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, Iran is a signatory to treaties that oblige it to work with the IAEA.
Leaders of the G8, worried about the effect of high oil prices on their faltering economies, raised the pressure on Iran on Saturday, conveying their readiness to tap into emergency oil stockpiles this summer if tougher new sanctions on Tehran strain supplies.
By promising cooperation with U.N. inspectors, diplomats say Iran might aim for leverage ahead of the broader negotiations, where the U.S. and its allies want Iran to halt works they say are cover for developing nuclear weapons.
Western sanctions on Iran’s energy exports, and threats by Israel and the U.S. of military action, have pushed up world oil prices.
8 Comments on "IAEA Reports Progress in Iran Nuclear Talks"
BillT on Wed, 23rd May 2012 3:47 pm
The Empire wants war. They will ignore any treaties/arrangements/deals. It is not about nuclear anything. It’s about oil and the petro dollar. It is about some religious nuts in Israel. It’s about Jewish power in the Empire and world banking. It will take a major war to prolong the Empire for a few more years. A real war, not another Iraq or Afghanistan. Are you ready?
DC on Wed, 23rd May 2012 4:20 pm
Iran is right not to allow the IAEA on site, or UN inspectors. Iraq was invaded and conquered despite the free hand given those organizations. I would not be the least bit suprised if those 2 organziations werent riddled with CIA and other western intel agencies. You can tell from this article that the plan is the same as Iraq, even if UN ‘inspectors'(ie US spies) are given wide acess like they constantly demand, the US will still claim that Iran is ‘hideing’ something or up to no goodor refuses to co-operate, or all the above. Iran is being set up same way Iraq was. Dont co-operate, and be invaded. Co-operate, and be accused of not co-operateing(enough), and be invaded anyhow.
Its exactly the same kind of game amerikan cops play. Dont resist arrest, and you get arrested. Resist arrest, and you STILL get arrested and get the crap beat out of you for your trouble. Claim you werent resisting arrest(ie the truth), and it hardly matters one bit. All the anti-gov protesters the US storm-troopers beat on, yea, they all resist arrest too. Iran is still being setup.
Rick on Wed, 23rd May 2012 8:20 pm
I agree with BillT and DC.
Ham on Wed, 23rd May 2012 11:15 pm
There is simply no way the US or Israel can win a war against Iran. The supply chain of oil to the World economy will be irrevocably broken. It will be a protracted affair lasting decades. Russian ballistic missiles will be used.
How many wars have the US, being as they are addicted to them, actually won? Iraq? Afghanistan? Libya? Vietnam? None. They can impoverish other nation states but it cannot survive without 20mbd. Nor will the navy have enough biofuels to keep Hormuz open, regardless, all ships will sink to the bottom of the ocean.
MikeK on Thu, 24th May 2012 6:35 am
Interesting to see the dance both sides are doing. Neither of them want the war to begin right now. The U.S. and Israel reportedly don’t want the war to begin until after elections (though I’m not sure this really makes sense to me.) Iran is buying time as it watches its nemesis the U.S. slip further and further into an economic quagmire and confrontation with both Russia and China. As a result, these talks will probably keep showing “progress” until the U.S. is actually ready to attack. Does anyone think China will make any move to cut its Iranian imports, or are we going to see the U.S. and China square off after June?
BillT on Thu, 24th May 2012 11:59 am
MikeK, China doesn’t have to fire a shot. A phone call To Bennie B. saying they are dumping their dollars onto the world market and it is all over for the Empire. The one likely to go to war with Iran, against the Empire,is Russia, protecting their best customer for weapons and their border. Then there is India that needs Iranian oil and Japan, and S.Korea, and Europe, and… Get the picture?
James on Fri, 25th May 2012 1:14 am
Now that Iran is doing what the “World” wants. They no longer have a viable reason to attack Iran or impose sanctions. However, the U.S. will still want to attack Iran because it started a Bourse where currency other than the Dollar is accepted. The U.S. will not stand for this. This was the real underlying reason the U.S. wants to go to war with Iran in the first place. Now, what will be the U.S.’s excuse?
James on Fri, 25th May 2012 1:24 am
To answer Ham above. The U.S. will commandeer all of this country’s oil, gasoline, and natural gas; and dedicate it to be used exclusively for military use. The average U.S. citizen (99%) won’t have access to most of the gasoline or oil products. Maybe a few of the upper 1% might be lucky enough to get the fuel they want, but not necessarily need.