White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters that the U.S. was consulting with its European allies and others about retaliatory steps after Iran broke International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) seals at its massive uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, resuming previously suspended research and development.
Any resumption of enrichment and reprocessing activities would be a further violation of the [November 2004″> Paris agreement that Iran agreed to, McClellan said.
The spokesman said that such steps would be a serious escalation of the international standoff over Tehrans suspected nuclear weapons program.
There is serious concern throughout the international community about the regime’s behaviour, and given Iran’s history of concealing and hiding their nuclear activities from the international community, and its continued non-compliance of its safeguard obligations, such concern is well-founded, he said.
If Iran continues on this path, and we realise that the negotiations have run their course, I think the international community is prepared to move to the next step. They’ve already been found in non-compliance. And being found in non-compliance by a growing majority of the International Atomic Energy Agency leads to one more step if they don’t come back to the table, McClellan said.
We are working with the international community to resolve this in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. That’s what we’ve been doing and that’s what we continue to do. In terms of options, you know the [U.S.”> President [George W. Bush”> has already addressed that. The President has made it clear we never take options off the table.
