U.S. Says Iran Trying to Bully UN Nuclear Watchdog

subscribe

Iran is trying to bully the board of the U.N. nuclear watchdog by threatening to resume the enrichment of uranium, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in Vienna said recently.

``What we're seeing is a full court press of intimidation by the government of Iran and its delegation here,'' ambassador Kenneth Brill told reporters, using a basketball metaphor. The United States suspects Iran of developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic energy program, which Iran denies.

``People who are trying to produce electricity for lightbulbs don't engage in this kind of behavior,'' he said.

Brill was responding to Iran's reaction to a draft resolution of the International Atomic Energy Agency's governing board proposed by France, Britain and Germany that ``deplores'' Iran's less-than-total cooperation with the IAEA.

``If this resolution passes Iran will have no moral commitment to suspend uranium enrichment,'' Iranian President Mohammad Khatami told reporters in Tehran earlier. Iran agreed last year with Europe's big three to suspend enrichment in exchange for peaceful nuclear technology.

On Monday, IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran's cooperation with the IAEA probe has been ``less than satisfactory.''

Brill said Iran was trying ``to take a resolution that, while not perfect, is clearly based on (ElBaradei's) recent statement and based on the (latest IAEA Iran) report and to try to get the board to abdicate its responsibility.''

Related News

a floating power station

A goodwill gesture over electricity sows discord in Lebanon

BEIRUT - It was supposed to be a goodwill gesture from an energy company in Turkey.

This summer, the Karadeniz Energy Group lent Lebanon a floating power station to generate electricity at below-market rates to help ease the strain on the country's woefully undermaintained power sector.

Instead, the barge's arrival opened a Pandora's box of partisan mudslinging in a country hobbled by political sectarianism and dysfunction.

There have been rows over where it should dock, how to allocate its 235 megawatts of power, and even what to call the barge.

It has even driven a wedge between Lebanon's two dominant parties among Shiite Muslims:…

READ MORE
power lines

Competition in Electricity Has Been Good for Consumers and Good for the Environment

READ MORE

electric vehicle

Opinion: The awesome, revolutionary electric-car revolution that doesn't actually exist

READ MORE

china coal station

Only one in 10 utility firms prioritise renewable electricity – global study

READ MORE

chuck schumer

Top Senate Democrat calls for permanent renewable energy, storage, EV tax credits

READ MORE