UN: Iran violates ban on military nuclear programme

Sep 7, 2011, 16:21 GMT

New York - UN Security Council members on Wednesday denounced Iran's failure to abide by United Nations resolutions demanding an end to the possible weaponization of its nuclear programme.

The United States, Germany, France and Britain joined forces in exposing Tehran's advanced 20-per-cent uranium enrichment, which is considered military weapons grade.

Tehran said its enrichment programme was needed for medical and civilian uses.

But the UN said Tehran has not been transparent and failed to cooperate with the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which recently submitted a report that Iran continued to make advances in uranium enrichment beyond its needs for medical applications.

US ambassador Susan Rice said Tehran has continued to defy the UN Security Council and the IAEA by refusing to 'respond substantively with information regarding possible military dimensions of its nuclear activities.'

Rice said the installation of a uranium enrichment facility and heavy-water reactor at Qom amounted to a violation of UN resolutions and a 'clear provocation.'

Rice said: 'This is unacceptable.'

Germany's ambassador, Peter Wittig, said his government was concerned by Iran's intention to arm missiles with a nuclear device, saying that the latest IAEA report was 'consistent and credible' with the worrisome development of Iran's nuclear activities.

Rice, Wittig and envoys from France and Britain called for the council to make public a completed report by a UN panel on Iran's nuclear activities. The report was ready in June, but some council members, who were not identified, opposed to its publication.

Other council members, including Russia and China, urged Tehran and the IAEA to settle the dispute over uranium enrichment through dialogue.

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