Obama, Sarkozy and Brown Issue Ultimatum Over I.R. Iran's Secret Nuclear Facility

Haaretz.com

Using harsh diplomatic language, the leaders of the United States, Britain and France issued a strongly worded joint condemnation Friday over the existence of a second Iran uranium enrichment plant, revealed earlier this week by Tehran. Appearing together to issue a statement ahead of the opening of the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, all three condemned the actions of the Iranian government, and warned that Tehran has a limited deadline to comply with international requirements or face tighter sanctions. Speaking first, U.S. President Barack Obama said that the three nations had presented the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, with detailed information regarding the second Iranian plant. "Iran has been building a covert uranium enrichment facility... for several years," Obama said. "We expect the IAEA to immediately investigate this disturbing information." "Iran's decision to build the nuclear plant underscores its unwillingness to meet international obligations and represents a direct challenge to the basic contract at the center of the non-proliferation agreement," he went on.

"Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow." French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned that Iran has until December to change its approach to international concerns about its nuclear program, or "sanctions will have to be taken." "Everything must be put on the table now," Sarkozy said. "Iran is taking the international community on a dangerous path and we cannot let the Iranian leaders gain time while the [centrifuge] motors are running." British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, meanwhile, mentioned an October deadline for Iranian cooperation, and warned of the dangers of the regime's program. "Iran's nuclear program is the most urgent proliferation challenge the world faces today," Brown said. "The level of deception by the Iranian goverment... will shock and anger the whole international community, and harden our resolve." "we are prepared to implement further and more stringent sanctions against Iran if it doesn?t comply with UN Security Council resolutions by October 1," Brown said. The IAEA earlier Friday demanded access to the second plant, which it was informed of by Tehran on Monday. Two officials told the Associated Press on Friday that Iran revealed the existence of the second plant in a letter sent to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei. (Read more...)