Iran vows to press on

Reuters
VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran vowed on Wednesday to press on with its nuclear fuel program, ignoring a U.N. deadline to freeze uranium enrichment or face broader sanctions, but offered to guarantee it would not try to develop atomic weapons.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remained defiant as a 60-day grace period Iran had been given on December 23 to stop enriching uranium for nuclear fuel was expiring.

"We ... will continue our work to reach our right (to nuclear technology) in the shortest possible time," Iranian student news agency ISNA quoted him as saying in the provincial town of Siahkal.

With the deadline running out, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been unable to verify Iran's program is wholly peaceful after three years of investigations, was expected to report to the U.N. Security Council by Thursday that Tehran was pursuing enrichment regardless of pressure to stop.

The West suspects Iran is trying to make atom bombs behind the facade of a civilian nuclear energy program. Tehran says it wants only an alternative source of electricity so it can maximize oil exports and prepare for when oil reserves run dry.

"Obtaining this technology is very important for our country's development and honor. It is worth it to stop other activities for 10 years and focus only on the nuclear issue," said Ahmadinejad.

A British Foreign Office official brushed off his comments.

"He has been saying this over and over and over again. Iran needs to restore confidence in its intentions regarding its nuclear program by complying fully with Security Council resolution 1737," the official said.

The Council, which two months ago banned transfers of nuclear technology and expertise to Iran, could consider wider sanctions if Tehran does not freeze enrichment work by February 21.

But it will not take action before the next meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors on March 5-9, leaving a little more time for dialogue to avert a feared U.S.-Iran conflict, said the diplomat close to the IAEA.

IRAN OFFERS GUARANTEES AS PART OF NEGOTIATIONS

Ultimate authority on nuclear matters lies not with Ahmadinejad but Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But senior Iranian leaders have all ruled out halting nuclear work as a precondition for talks on trade benefits from the West.

"We would give the necessary assurances and guarantees (in negotiations) that there will be no deviation ever toward nuclear weapons (in Iran)," chief negotiator Ali Larijani said in Vienna on Tuesday after talks with the IAEA director.

"Maybe there are certain groups or countries willing to coerce Iran ... (but) Iran's nuclear dossier cannot be resolved through force and pressure," he said, alluding to the United States, which has built up strike forces in the Gulf near Iran.

Larijani said he had "constructive" talks with IAEA director Mohamed ElBaradei on ways of reviving talks with Western powers.

ElBaradei has urged both sides to take a mutual "timeout" to enable talks -- Iran would suspend enrichment rather than accelerate it from research level to "industrial scale" as planned at its Natanz plant, while sanctions would be suspended.

The diplomat close to the IAEA said Iranian officials were sounding positive in private about a "timeout" and hoped EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who led earlier talks with Larijani, would be authorized to discuss it with him.

Western officials have dismissed previous such signs of Iranian flexibility as stalling while it strives to master enrichment technology at its underground Natanz complex, ringed by anti-aircraft guns against feared U.S. assault.

As a possible compromise to jumpstart negotiations, Larijani has suggested Iran could pledge to refine uranium no higher than the 4-5 percent level, sufficient for power plant fuel but far below the 80 percent needed for the fissile core of bombs.

But diplomats and analysts have said there is no technical method to guarantee a cap on enrichment levels.

ElBaradei cites intelligence estimates that Iran remains 4-8 years away from learning how to build an atom bomb, assuming it wants one, leaving ample time for a diplomatic deal. He says neither sanctions nor war could erase Iranian nuclear ambitions.

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CHRONOLOGY-Iran's nuclear program

Here are the main events since Iran's nuclear program, which it says is purely peaceful, first came to light:

August 2002 - Exiled opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran reports the existence of uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and heavy water plant at Arak.

June 2003 - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report, after February inspection of Natanz and Arak, says Iran has failed to comply with nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

December 2003 - Iran signs protocol allowing snap inspections of nuclear facilities.

February 2005 - President Mohammad Khatami says no Iranian government will give up nuclear technology program.

September 2 - IAEA report confirms Iran has resumed uranium conversion at Isfahan.

January 10, 2006 - Iran removes U.N. seals at Natanz enrichment plant and resumes nuclear fuel research.

February 4 - IAEA votes to report Iran to U.N. Security Council. Iran ends snap U.N. nuclear inspections the next day. Ten days later Iran restarts small-scale feeding of uranium gas into centrifuges at Natanz after 2-1/2-year suspension.

March 8 - IAEA report to Security Council says it cannot verify Iran's atomic activities are peaceful.

April 11 - Iran announces it has produced low-grade enriched uranium suitable for use in power stations; IAEA confirms this.

April 28 - An IAEA report, sent to the Security Council, confirms Iran has flouted council demands to suspend enrichment.

July 31 - Security Council demands Iran suspend its nuclear activities by August 31. In a resolution, council for first time makes legally binding demands on Iran and threat of sanctions. Iran's ambassador to the U.N. rejects the resolution.

August 31 - IAEA announces Iran has not met deadline to suspend its program and has resumed enriching uranium.

September 19 - President Bush and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clash over Iran's nuclear ambitions at the United Nations.

September 26 - Russia and Iran agree start-up date of September 2007 for Iran's first nuclear power station at Bushehr.

November 14 - A confidential IAEA report says Iran is pushing ahead with uranium enrichment and still stonewalling investigations by the agency despite the risk of sanctions.

-- The report also says Iran has started up second experimental chain of 164 interlinked centrifuge machines and has begun feeding uranium UF6 gas into them for enrichment.

December 23 - Security Council votes to impose sanctions and gives the country 60 days to suspend uranium enrichment. Iran calls the resolution an illegal measure.

January 22, 2007 - Iran says it has barred entry to 38 IAEA inspectors after hardliners demanded retaliation for sanctions.

February 9 - IAEA says it has cut back almost half its technical aid projects in Iran to uphold U.N. sanctions imposed on Tehran.

February 19 - Russia announces a delay in work the Bushehr reactor as Iran is behind with payments worth $73.75 million.

February 20 - Chief negotiator Ali Larijani announces in talks with IAEA that Iran will give necessary assurances and guarantees that there will be no deviation ever toward nuclear weapons.

February 21 - A 60-day grace period Iran had been given to stop enriching uranium expires. President Ahmadinejad remains defiant as Iran vows to press on with its program.