The Iranian Regime Defiant Over Secret Nuclear Facility

The Independent

In an atmosphere beginning to seem increasingly like a brinkmanship contest, Iran and the rest of the world exchanged pugnacious messages yesterday over the nation's burgeoning nuclear capability, and the threat it poses to non-proliferation. Following the revelation in the past 48 hours that Iran has a second, underground and hitherto secret uranium enrichment plant, the US President, Barack Obama, added yesterday to his warning that Tehran risked "sanctions that bite". In his weekly radio and internet address, he said evidence that shows Iran is building an underground plant to enrich uranium which could be used for an atomic bomb "continues a disturbing pattern of Iranian evasion" that jeopardises global non-proliferation. The chief option is tougher economic sanctions, but on Friday Mr Obama and administration officials did not rule out military action. "My offer of a serious, meaningful dialogue to resolve this issue remains open," the president said. "But Iran must now co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and take action to demonstrate its peaceful intentions."

Iran immediately responded, voicing defiance. A senior official in the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the facility would soon be operational and would make "enemies blind". However, Iran insisted that there had been no attempt to hide the facility, and its nuclear chief said his country will allow the UN nuclear agency to inspect the still-unfinished plant. Ali Akbar Salehi did not specify when inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency could visit the site. He says the timing will be worked out with the UN watchdog. And, in a further indication of the febrile mood, Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards announced late yesterday that they will stage missile defence exercises today. Meanwhile, Israel's response to the crisis was characteristically implacable. The Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said yesterday the second nuclear facility was proof that the Islamic Republic was seeking nuclear weapons, and called on the world for an "unequivocal" response. He said: "I spoke this weekend to experts from the East and West. No one has any doubt, according to the technical data that was published, it's a military core." Israeli leaders have repeatedly expressed alarm over Iran's nuclear ambitions and refused to rule out pre-emptive military action to stop Iran from developing an atomic weapon. (Read more...)