VARIOUS: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say's Iran's assertion it has enriched uranium will require "strong steps" from UN Security Council

Record ID: 315855

  • Title: VARIOUS: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice say's Iran's assertion it has enriched uranium will require "strong steps" from UN Security Council
  • Date: 13th April 2006
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE, SAYING: "Iran has been offered many opportunities to negotiate in good faith, by the Europeans, by the Russians. They've never taken those opportunities. We had a presidential statement that reinforced those requirements. The Iranians have not reacted to that so - yes, when we, we're consulting now and when the Security Council reconvenes, I think it will be time for action."
  • Embargoed: 28th April 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA13SASG5RSOPVFTWBKUONWKF54
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday (April 12) Iran's assertion it has enriched uranium will require "strong steps" from the United Nations Security Council. Rice said the announcement on Tuesday from Tehran that Iran had begun nuclear enrichment was further proof Tehran was not adhering to requirements already set out by the international community.
    "There's no doubt in my mind, if the Iranians continue on this course, there has to be some course of action by the Security Council," Rice said at the State Department.
    Rice did not indicate what the steps might be but her spokesman Sean McCormack said it would be stronger than the presidential statement by the Security Council last month after weeks of wrangling at the United Nations.
    Earlier on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the use of force could not solve the stand-off surrounding Iran's nuclear programme.
    "If such plans exist they will not be able to resolve this problem. On the contrary, they could create a dangerous explosive blaze in the Middle East, where there are already enough blazes," Lavrov told a news briefing after talks with Albanian counterpart Bensik Mustafaj.
    He was speaking a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran had produced the enriched uranium needed to make nuclear fuel for the first time, triggering a warning from Washington.
    Tensions over Iran's nuclear programme have been high in recent months, and the United Nations has said Iran must halt uranium enrichment, a process Western nations believe Tehran wants to master so that it can develop nuclear weapons.
    Russia's Foreign Ministry, in a statement earlier on Wednesday, called on Tehran to halt enrichment activities.
    Russia, one of the five powers that can veto U.N. Security council decisions, has long opposed using sanctions against the Islamic Republic, which denies seeking nuclear weapons.
    But Lavrov on Wednesday did not repeat his opposition to sanctions, saying merely he did not want to jump to conclusions over what steps the world community should take next.
    He added that Iranian officials had frequently stressed that their nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
    "I would advise you (the media) not over exaggerate this (Iran's uranium enrichment), because Iran never declared that it intended to acquire nuclear weapons. On the contrary, Iran's highest officials from time to time, have made assurances that they do not any such plan (to acquire nuclear weapons) and that the country intends to develop its nuclear programme only for peaceful purposes," said Lavrov.
    In the Iranian capital, Tehran, newspapers led with the news that the Shi'ite state had joined the 'Nuclear Club'.
    The pursuit of nuclear energy is a source of pride to many Iranians.
    "Any scientific progress in the world is a big victory for any Iranian. We will continue along this road until there is no problem for our nation," said supermarket seller Ali Mansoury.
    "It is a matter of national pride for me because the Iranian nation is determined to use this technology. Our country will progress in future now that we are able to enrich uranium," said cleric Ali Taghavi.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register