In Brief: Britain’s reaction to IAEA report on Iran

Iran Focus: London, May 24 – Britain reiterated on Wednesday its position that Iran should suspend its uranium enrichment activities, following the release of a report by the UN nuclear watchdog which said that Tehran had failed to stop its sensitive nuclear work in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1747. Iran Focus

London, May 24 – Britain reiterated on Wednesday its position that Iran should suspend its uranium enrichment activities, following the release of a report by the UN nuclear watchdog which said that Tehran had failed to stop its sensitive nuclear work in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1747.

Reacting to the latest report from IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei on Iran’s nuclear program, a British Foreign Office spokesman said, “Dr El Baradei has confirmed that Iran has yet again failed to suspend its enrichment related and reprocessing activities, a mandatory requirement under UNSCR 1747. We will study his report further and consult with allies on next steps. We believe that full suspension of Iran’s enrichment activities is the only acceptable confidence building measure to allow formal talks to begin”.

Separately, on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett responded to comments from the Conservative Party on Iran policy, saying, “I’ve seen comments from David Cameron and William Hague urging the Government to step up pressure on Iran both to comply with their nuclear obligations and their role in Iraq and Afghanistan. That’s exactly what we’ve been doing. We have incrementally increased the pressure on Iran and have given them a clear choice: comply with the international community or face the consequences. The best way to have an effect is through the combined pressure of the international community. Our strength comes from consensus so we must work through the UN and EU, as we have done each time Iran has failed to comply with the international community”.