Reuters: Iran will review its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and consider “new options” if the U.N. Security Council passes a third sanctions resolution, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran will review its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and consider “new options” if the U.N. Security Council passes a third sanctions resolution, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
The comments followed remarks by IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei to a German magazine saying Iran’s cooperation deal with the agency struck in August could be the Islamic Republic’s last chance to come clean about its atomic programme.
The IAEA and Tehran agreed on a rough timetable for addressing lingering concerns about Iran’s nuclear activities, which the West believes is ultimately aimed at building nuclear bombs. Tehran insists its plans are entirely peaceful.
“Our cooperation with the agency will continue, and if a new resolution is issued by the Security Council, we will reconsider our cooperation with the agency and will think of new options,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a news conference. He did not specify what those options would be.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran since December because of its failure to heed a U.N. demand to halt uranium enrichment, a process which can make nuclear power plant fuel or, if desired, bomb material.
Washington says Iran must stop the work as well as cooperate with the Vienna-based IAEA on clearing up outstanding questions to avoid further penalties. Tehran says it will not stop enrichment, which it insists it has a legal right to do.
