Once again Iran escapes UN sanctions after striking a deal with the EU -- this time round with more than one reason to celebrate, reports Rasha Saad Tehran secured a last-minute deal with the European Union (EU) over Iran's uranium enrichment programme and narrowly avoided United Nations Security Council sanctions. On Sunday Iran pledged to shut down all activities related to uranium enrichment by 22 November, three days before the 25 November deadline stipulated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The United States had long put pressure on the IAEA to refer Iran to the UN Security Council. The Europeans, on the other hand, had spearheaded efforts to find a diplomatic solution. Had Tehran failed to meet the deadline the EU would have joined the US in pushing for a harder line to be taken against Iran and have insisted the country's nuclear file be referred to the Security Council. The deal, which many commentators see as a success for Iranian diplomacy, came after weeks of talks between Iranian officials and representatives from the UK, France and Germany -- the so-called E3. Tehran successfully pressed for a "temporary suspension" of uranium enrichment programmes rather than "halt" formula Washington would have liked. In addition the E3 recognised Iran's right to join the Expert Group on Multilateral Approaches to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle, another success for Tehran. According to Iranian analyst Mohamed Sadeq Al-Husseini the US has long argued that Iran should be excluded from the group, with US officials repeatedly claiming Iran is not as trustworthy as Brazil or South Africa. "This victory crowns Iranian endeavours to become a fully- fledged member of the international community. Now, and for the first time, the international community has accepted Iran's terms," said Al-Husseini. Iran has also another reason to celebrate: a day after Tehran announced the suspension of enrichment programmes the IAEA released a report saying Iran had accounted for all nuclear materials declared in the previous year. No material, the report said, had been "diverted to prohibited [weapons] activities". The report also stated that Iran's cooperation with the IAEA had "improved appreciably" since investigations began in October 2003. Last week's Iran-EU deal is similar to an earlier one clinched on October 2003 that also prevented the referral of the Iranian nuclear file to the UN Security Council in return for an Iranian pledge to suspend uranium enrichment and to allow meticulous inspections as a voluntary good-will gesture. Iran first promised to suspend uranium enrichment and to allow inspections as a good-will gesture in October last year. That deal collapsed in June 2004 when Iran accused the E3 of breaking its promise to close the Iranian nuclear dossier at the IAEA. Tehran also dismissed IAEA complaints that it had failed to cooperate fully with inspectors. Today, the Iranians have extracted further concessions from the E3. Access to nuclear fuel and a light-water research reactor, together with the transfer of nuclear technology, are among the concessions Tehran extracted from the E3. Once the suspension has been verified negotiations on a trade and cooperation agreement will resume, and the E3/EU will actively support the resumption of Iranian accession negotiations at the World Trade Organisation. The deal also stipulates that the E3/EU recognize "Iran's rights under the non-proliferation treaty (NPT)." Iran's rights under the NPT must accordingly be "exercised in conformity with its obligation without discrimination." Contrary to US claims, Iran has traditionally held that its nuclear activities are peaceful and that the Islamic Republic is being discriminated against and is treated unjustly for political rather than technical reasons. While last year's deal "was simply a way for Iran to push harm away", Al-Husseini believes that the current deal sees Iran being treated as an equal partner in negotiations. Tehran, he says, "is working hard towards improving relations with Europe". A steering committee will meet to launch negotiations in the first half of December, establishing working groups on political and security matters, technology and cooperation, and nuclear issues. Iran shrewdly maneuvered to ensure that Iranian nuclear power is an inalienable and non-negotiable right. To coincide with the Iran-EU-talks held in Paris last week, Iranian defence minister Ali Shamkhani disclosed that Iran is capable of mass- producing the Shehab 3 -- a long-range ballistic missile capable of reaching Israel. "We have mastered the technology and we have no limits on the volume of the production," Shamkhani said. Moreover, several Iranian officials including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened that Iran will withdraw from the NPT treaty unless it is fairly treated and its right to pursue peaceful nuclear activities is internationally recognized. The deal leaves the US with little hope of convincing the 35 member states of the IAEA's board of governors to adopt punitive measures against Tehran and will force the US to change its policy towards the Islamic Republic. US Secretary of State Colin Powell's comments that he had seen "a little bit of progress... over the last 24 hours" were seen by many observers as indicating that the deal was being cautiously welcomed by the Bush administration and that Washington might be reconsidering its strategy towards Tehran. "At the moment both Tehran and Washington want to play down any strains in their relations," says Fahmi Howeidy, an Egyptian expert on Iran. Iran, he argues, is keeping an eye on its economic interests while the US is watching Iranian influence on Iraq's Shia. "We are in the middle of a battle that still has no winner or loser. Only after the US is clear of the Iraqi quagmire we will witness a change in the rules of the game," says Howeidy.
