Disarmament Documentation

US statement following the IAEA Board Meeting, March 8, 2006

'U.S. Press Statement Following March 2006 Board', March 8, 2006.

In September 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency made two important findings: first, that Iran has violated its international obligations; second, that Iran has lost international trust in the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

We called on Iran's leaders to regain our trust. Instead they broke IAEA seals to restart enrichment. In February, we reported our findings to the UN Security Council.

We also reported a list of steps required of Iran to begin an extensive period of confidence-building. These steps included: suspending uranium enrichment, including research and development, for which Iran today has no civil requirement; reconsidering construction of a new research reactor, which Iran does not need for peaceful use, but can produce weapons-grade plutonium; ratifying promptly and implementing in full the Additional Protocol, to help the Agency resolve outstanding questions; implementing transparency measures requested by Dr. ElBaradei, including access to individuals, documents, dual-use equipment, and military facilities.

Iran's leaders had a month to meet these requirements.

The Director General has now reported that they failed to meet a single one. Indeed, rather than acting to regain international confidence, Iran's leaders are moving ahead brazenly with enrichment, continuing their determined, step-by-step effort to acquire the material, technology, and know-how to produce nuclear weapons. The Director General's report will now be transmitted to New York for action by the Security Council.

The leadership in Tehran has thus far chosen a course of flagrant threats and phony negotiation. They hoped to divide the international community and leave their nuclear ambitions unchecked. Instead, their defiance has increasingly united the international community, leaving them increasingly isolated and increasingly at risk of Security Council action.

The leadership in Iran needs to chose a different course: a course of real cooperation and serious negotiation, rather than continued confrontation. This new course would best serve the people of Iran.

The people of Iran deserve nuclear energy and international respect, not a future of increasing isolation and consequences for the failure of their leaders to meet international commitments and heed international concern.

Source: US Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, http://www.usun-vienna.rpo.at/

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