Tehran enjoyed a major diplomatic success this week as it escaped the threat of referral to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme, reports Rasha Saad In a crucial five-day meeting of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the board of governors adopted Monday a resolution approving Iran's week-old suspension of sensitive nuclear activities as part of a deal with the European Union (EU) negotiators Britain, Germany and France struck earlier in November. Crucially and in line with Iranian demands, the resolution described the suspension as a voluntary confidence-building measure and not a legally binding commitment. Its passage meant that Tehran, which denies seeking a nuclear bomb, had achieved its immediate objective of avoiding being brought before the Security Council for possible sanctions. While the US accuses Iran of seeking nuclear weapons and has been pressuring the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors for months to send the case straight to the Security Council, Iran insists it has a "sovereign right" to enrich uranium and is only suspending such work to assure the world of its peaceful intentions. Tehran has thus celebrated the UN resolution as a snub to the US. "The Islamic Republic has not renounced the nuclear fuel cycle, will never renounce it and will use it," said top National Security official Hassan Rowhani who is responsible for the Iranian nuclear file. "We have proved that we are capable of isolating the US within an international institution. And that is a great victory," he added. The White House, on the other hand, warned on Monday that the world must "remain vigilant" about Iran's nuclear activities. The IAEA's negotiations, however, did not go smoothly. Confusion over what exactly was meant by the term "freeze" overshadowed the negotiations. The dispute focussed on Tehran's request to exempt some 20 centrifuges from the 14 November agreement in order to continue research with them. While the European trio went into the board meeting saying full suspension of uranium enrichment meant that all equipment used for enrichment must be at a standstill, Iran came to the opening day of the meeting Thursday with demands that it be allowed to continue to run its 20 centrifuges for research purposes. Centrifuges are devices that spin at supersonic speeds to enrich, or purify, uranium for use as fuel in nuclear reactors. Highly enriched uranium can be used in an atom bomb, while low enrichment products are used to generate electricity. A compromise was swiftly made, and the resolution stated that the 20 centrifuges would not be placed under IAEA seals, but simply monitored by cameras. Tehran accordingly agreed not to test any centrifuges "for now". Analysts believe that the Iranian stance was meant to ease fears among the regime's hard- liners that Tehran was giving up too much in exchange for a softly-worded resolution. However the Iranian "victory" did not seem to convince everyone. On Monday in Tehran, some 500 members of the basij militia pelted the British Embassy with stones and firecrackers, protesting the Iran-EU deal was a sellout. Protesters burned a British flag and tried to demolish the embassy gates, but were pushed back by a cordon of some 100 riot police. "Nuclear energy is our right," the protesters shouted. Meanwhile, Iran is gearing up to reap the harvest of "constructive dialogue" with the EU. Both Iran and the EU are due to resume talks in mid-December to reportedly discuss a long-term nuclear deal as well as the wide- ranging "rewards" promised by the European trio. Both Iranian and European officials think that the EU-negotiated agreement should open up a new era of cooperation between Tehran and Europe. "Now we should concentrate more on the future of cooperation with Europe, after 25 years of difficult political dialogue," said Iranian nuclear negotiator Hussein Moussavian. EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana also stressed that Iran's pledge to freeze uranium enrichment activities will open "a new chapter" in bilateral ties, confirming that the EU will resume trade talks with Tehran. Items up for discussion at the talks include an EU-Iran trade agreement, backing for Iran's admission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which will help it obtain peaceful nuclear technology, including a light-water research reactor, and working towards a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction.
