The United States has threatened to refer anew Iran’s nuclear file to the Security Council if Tehran “fails to make substantive steps” in this respect as a result of an upcoming round of negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Robert Mood, the Charge d’affaires of the US Mission to the IAEA, made the warning during a news conference after a meeting of the agency’s Board of Governors, held here late on Thursday.
“Iran cannot be allowed to indefinitely ignore its obligations by attempting to make negotiation of a structured approach on PMD (possible military dimension) an endless process. Iran must act now, in substance. We request the Director General specify in his next report on Iran whether Iran has taken any substantive steps since our meeting today to address the Agency’s PMD concerns. If by March Iran has not begun substantive cooperation with the IAEA, the United States will work with other Board members to pursue appropriate Board action, and would urge the Board to consider reporting this lack of progress to the UN Security Council,” Mood warned in his address to the board session.
Mood elaborated further, charging that Iran has not yet come to agreement with the Agency, nor begun implementing a structured approach, to resolve the outstanding issues related to the possible military dimensions of its nuclear program.
