Reuters: Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, on Thursday welcomed the U.N. Security Council’s holding off from imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme. AMSTERDAM, May 11 (Reuters) – Mohamed ElBaradei, director-general of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, on Thursday welcomed the U.N. Security Council’s holding off from imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.
At a news conference in Amsterdam, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief urged compromise on both sides of the dispute.
“The only solution to the Iran situation is a comprehensive package through dialogue, through negotiation. The more we can go back to the negotiating table, the more we can address grievances from both sides,” he said.
“It is very good that the Security Council holds its horses,” he said, adding: “I am very optimistic, I hope both sides will move away from the war of words, I hope the pitch will go down … we need compromises from both sides.”
Washington and its European allies have been seeking a U.N. Security Council resolution that would oblige Iran to halt all uranium enrichment work or face possible sanctions.
But the drive for a resolution slowed this week as Washington agreed to first let Europeans devise a package of benefits to induce Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions and sanctions if it does not.
Tehran says it only wants to produce low-grade enriched uranium to use in atomic power reactors, not the highly enriched uranium needed to make bombs.
