Reuters: The United States said on Wednesday that a resumption in uranium enrichment by Iran would run contrary
to a commitment Tehran made to let negotiations proceed
over Iran’s nuclear program. White House spokesman Scott McClellan took a dim view of Iran’s vow on Tuesday, at a U.N. conference to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to press ahead with uranium enrichment. Reuters
WASHINGTON – The United States said on Wednesday that a resumption in uranium enrichment by Iran would run contrary to a commitment Tehran made to let negotiations proceed over Iran’s nuclear program.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan took a dim view of Iran’s vow on Tuesday, at a U.N. conference to review the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to press ahead with uranium enrichment.
Four months of negotiations between Iran and three European nations, France, Britain and Germany, have not persuaded Iran to yield on its drive for a nuclear program.
Iran says it will use nuclear energy to generate electricity, but the United States suspects oil-rich Tehran is intent on developing a nuclear weapon.
In a November agreement with the three European nations, Iran agreed to freeze all atomic fuel activities while both sides tried to negotiate a long-term solution on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. But Iran has threatened to resume some enrichment activities.
“Iran agreed to maintain a suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities while the talks were under way with the Europeans. And a resumption of any enrichment and reprocessing activities would be contrary to that commitment that the Iranians made,” McClellan said.
He said the United States “will continue to support the efforts of our European friends as they work to resolve this issue in a diplomatic way.””
Washington is considering taking Iran to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions if Tehran does not yield. McClellan would not be drawn out on what the United States might seek from the United Nations if the case went that far.
