By Xinhua
Tehran : A senior Iranian nuclear official said on Monday that a new UN Security Council resolution against Tehran over its nuclear program would make the issue “further complicated,” the official IRNA news agency reported.
“Any irrational, illogical and unjudicial behavior will not only fail to solve Iran’s nuclear issue but will also make related equations further complicated and tougher,” Deputy Head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Saeedi was quoted as saying.
“The best way is recourse to legal means and constructive engagement” with Tehran, said Saeidi, who is also a member of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team.
He said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei’s written and verbal reports provide a clear picture of Iran’s nuclear program.
“Since the IAEA chief’s written report and today (Monday) verbal report show the international institution’s full supervision on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, any pressure on Tehran will not help solve the issue,” Saeidi stressed.
In a speech launching an IAEA governors meeting in Vienna on Monday, ElBaradei said that while Iran’s cooperation had settled some doubts about its activities, intelligence suggesting the country’s alleged “weaponization” of nuclear materials remained a pressing issue.
“I urge Iran to be as active and cooperative as possible in working with the agency to clarify this matter of serious concern,” ElBaradei said.
The UN Security Council will vote on a resolution slamming stronger sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. The vote, originally scheduled for last Saturday, was delayed for efforts to achieve unanimity among the 15 members of the Security Council.
The five permanent members of the Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the Untied States — back the resolution, but there are reservations among some non-permanent members.
Compared with the two previous UN Security Council resolutions on Iran, the new draft will include travel restrictions and bans for more Iranians, an expansion of asset freezes, curbs on dual-use items which are of both nuclear and other applications, financial monitoring, cargo inspections on aircraft and vessels, as well as possible “next steps.”
Analysts say the new draft has basically followed the modalities of Resolutions 1737 and 1747, with the aim of imposing moderate pressure on Tehran to provide impetus for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.