IRAN: Nuclear program -- The US and Russia

Iran's nuclear program may lead to a confrontation with the US (Reuters, 7/1/03). The head of Iran's atomic energy program, implicitly rejecting US criticism, defended Tehran's nuclear cooperation with Russia as being in line with international law. "Cooperation between Iran and Russia in the atomic field has good horizons and prospects," Gholamreza Aghazadeh told Interfax news agency in Moscow. He added that nuclear cooperation between the two countries was "transparent and within the framework of international law." Aghazadeh is due to hold talks with senior Russian officials and tour some of Russia's nuclear facilities. His five-day visit will be watched closely by Washington, which suspects Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. Russian help to Iran in building its first nuclear power plant at Bushehr has raised concern in the US, and there has been speculation that Aghazadeh may have come to Moscow to win reassurance that Russian assistance would continue despite the row. The Islamic republic has rejected calls for it to sign the Additional Protocol to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which would mandate International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections of its nuclear facilities. Iranian officials say they have not ruled out signing the NPT Additional Protocol, but insist that other states are not keeping their side of the NPT bargain by helping Iran acquire peaceful nuclear technology. Russia also wants Iran to accept the tougher IAEA inspections, though it is not making its cooperation dependent on Iran signing up.

Ronald Hilton - 7/7/03