Tehran is fed up with nonproliferation

American veteran finds out Russia's position

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which his country joined in February 1970. “If the West continues to use the provisions of the NPT to deprive Iran of its legitimate right to peaceful nuclear technology, the Iranian people will reconsider their attitude towards this treaty,” Ahmadinejad said Saturday at a demonstration to mark the 27th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Ahmadinejad accused Western countries of undermining the authority of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and creating obstacles to the “progress and development of the Iranian nation.” According to him, the West strives to have “peaceful nuclear energy only at its disposal” and is going to sell it “drop by drop” to other states. The President recalled that Iran has the right to count on obtaining peaceful nuclear technologies, since it is a member of the IAEA and a party to the NPT, which unites 189 states. He assured that the country “will not retreat in the face of threats.”

At Tehran's request, IAEA staff on Saturday dismantled surveillance cameras and removed seals from Iran's nuclear facilities. International inspectors have little opportunity to obtain reliable information about Iran's nuclear program. Last week, observers were already stripped of their ability to conduct unannounced inspections. At the same time, they were obliged to coordinate their work with the country’s authorities. These steps were prompted by Iran's withdrawal from the additional protocol to the NPT, which the country signed in December 2003.

Tehran may become the second state to leave the NPT. In January 2003, North Korea withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. India and Pakistan, which have tested nuclear weapons, and Israel, which allegedly has nuclear arsenals, are not members of the NPT.

The West does not exclude the use of military force against Tehran. The British newspaper Telegraph reported, citing sources in the Pentagon, that the main blow to Iranian nuclear facilities could be delivered by B-2 bombers based in Missouri and capable of reaching Iranian territory in a few hours. Aviation support should be provided by submarines equipped with ballistic missiles located in the conflict zone.

The Iranians can avoid a military scenario if they agree to Russia’s proposal to enrich uranium on the territory of our country. The decisive round of Russian-Iranian negotiations is scheduled for February 16. In the meantime, the United States is seeking to clarify Russia's position, insisting that it remain fairly tough. Last weekend, the former national security adviser to US presidents Gerald Ford and George H. W. Bush, and the head of the foreign intelligence advisory council under the current president, Brent Scowcroft, visited the Russian capital. According to Vremya Novostey, the 80-year-old patriarch of US foreign policy met with senior Russian officials for an informal exchange of views on the Iran issue.

Albert GALEEV