Breaking news isn't usually my style in Diaries, but given the accusations against Iran regarding Hezbollah and the push by Bill Kristol, Newt Gingrich and others to strike Iran immediately, I thought this deserved everybody's attention. As if we didn't already have enough to worry about.
Iran's move is hardly a surprise.
From AP via The New York Times:
Iran's President Rejects U.N. Resolution
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday rejected a U.N. Security Council resolution that would give his nation until Aug. 31 to suspend uranium enrichment. Instead, Ahmadinejad insisted Tehran would pursue its nuclear program.
"My words are the words of the Iranian nation. Throughout Iran, there is one slogan: 'The Iranian nation considers the peaceful use of nuclear fuel production technology its right,''' Ahmadinejad said.
From Reuters:
Iran vows to produce nuclear fuel despite UN vote
"The Iranian people see taking advantage of technology to produce nuclear fuel for peaceful purposes as their right," Ahmadinejad told a crowd in the northeastern town of Bojnurd.
Tehran denies Western charges that it is developing nuclear fuel for warheads, insisting its atomic scientists are only working on the peaceful production of electricity.
Iranian officials have said sanctions will harm the West more than Iran by sending oil prices to unmanageable levels. However, diplomats and analysts say Iran's economy would be highly vulnerable to sanctions on industrial components, gasoline imports and European financing.
Yesterday, the U.N. Security Council warned Tehran in a 14-1 resolution that it will take "appropriate measures" if Iran does not step back from its nuclear program.
From the Times (of London):
Iran given a month to comply or face UN sanctions
The diplomatic campaign to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb came to a climax yesterday when the UN ordered Tehran to halt all uranium enrichment activities and threatened sanctions if it failed to do so by August 31.
Previous appeals to Iran to suspend its enrichment work were made mandatory in the Security Council's first resolution on the nuclear stand-off, depriving Tehran of its right under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop the nuclear fuel cycle.
The council voted 14-1, with support from Russia and China for the first time and only Qatar against. It expressed its intention to adopt "appropriate measures" if Iran failed to comply by August 31, but worded the resolution to avoid any threat of military force.
US officials say that Washington's next step may be to seek UN sanctions banning Iranian imports of dual-use items, limiting Tehran's access to technology and restricting travel by Iranian officials. ...
{snip}
To enlist Russian and Chinese support, the EU three and the US agreed to offer Iran incentives to abandon enrichment, including a light-water reactor, an atomic fuel storage facility and the prospect of Washington joining the EU's direct talks with Tehran. Iran said that it took the offer seriously but needed until August 22 to respond -- ignoring a deadline set by the six powers.
The resolution also reiterated IAEA calls for Iran to reconsider building its heavywater reactor, answer outstanding questions and allow spot inspections by the IAEA.
The resolution calls on all states "to exercise vigilance and prevent the transfer of any items, materials, goods and technology that could contribute to Iran's enrichment- related and reprocessing activities and ballistic missile programmes".
It was the second time in a month that the Security Council had adopted a resolution aimed at a member of President Bush's "axis of evil", after a vote to crack down on North Korea's missile tests.
Now the question is, will the Bush Regime take inappropriate measures to deal with the situation?