Ban Ki-moon warns against force in Iran nuclear standoff
11/11/2011 00:14
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Thursday for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear standoff with Tehran in an apparent reaction to media speculation that Israel might attack Iran's atomic facilities.
"He [Ban] reiterates his call for Iran's compliance with all relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.
"The secretary-general reiterates his belief that a negotiated rather than a military solution is the only way to resolve this issue," he said.
He added that Ban's position is that "the onus is on Iran to prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear program."
Earlier Thursday, EU diplomats said that the European Union may approve fresh sanctions against Iran within weeks, after a UN agency said Tehran had worked to design nuclear bombs.
Iran denies trying to build atom bombs and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said any US or Israeli attack on its nuclear sites would be met with "iron fists."
The United States and Israel have refused to rule out any option to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.
Also Thursday, the White House called the IAEA report "very alarming" and said it would continue to pressure Tehran to "change its behavior."
"They need to get right with the world and live up to their obligations with regards to their nuclear program. We will continue to pursue that going forward in the wake of this very alarming report," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Diplomats in Brussels said preliminary discussions among EU capitals on new measures had begun and plans may be ready for EU foreign ministers in Brussels to approve on 1 December.
"Experts are discussing a number of options on the table but it is difficult to foresee the outcome of the debate," one EU diplomat said. Another said he expected a formal decision to be reached on 1 December.
EU sanctions would be a significant part of Western efforts to ratchet up pressure on Tehran after the UN nuclear watchdog's report this week that laid bare a trove of intelligence suggesting Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
Western governments would prefer UN Security Council measures against Tehran, but Russia and China are opposed.
China reiterated its view that sanctions would not work.
"We always believe that dialogue and cooperation is the right way to solve the Iranian nuclear issue. Sanctions cannot fundamentally solve the issue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, calling for more diplomacy.
Tehran, which says its nuclear programme is for producing electricity and other peaceful purposes, said on Wednesday it remains ready for negotiations with world powers on the issue.
Western diplomats say only sanctions against Iran's energy sector could exert serious pressure on Tehran, but such steps would also hurt a global economy hit by Europe's debt crisis.
Some EU governments are wary of inflicting economic pain on the Iranian people or of closing potential communication channels by targeting Iranian officials. Others fret about the damage oil sanctions could do to their own economic interests.
Germany, Britain and France, along with the United States, Russia and China, form a group of powers negotiating with Iran. The last round of talks stalled at the start of this year.
Iran already faces a wide range of UN sanctions, as well as some imposed unilaterally by the United States and the EU.
Tension over Iran's nuclear program has increased since Tuesday when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Tehran appeared to have worked on designing a bomb and may still be conducting secret research to that end.
Media speculation about possible US or Israeli military action has also intensified since the IAEA report, denounced by Iran as "unbalanced" and "politically motivated".
Khamenei said Iran would retaliate against any attack by its foes, but had no intention of starting a "bloody war".
"Our enemies, particularly the Zionist regime (Israel), America and its allies, should know that any kind of threat and attack or even thinking about any (military) action will be firmly responded to," Khamenei said on state television
"He [Ban] reiterates his call for Iran's compliance with all relevant resolutions of the Security Council and the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency," UN spokesman Martin Nesirky told reporters.
"The secretary-general reiterates his belief that a negotiated rather than a military solution is the only way to resolve this issue," he said.
He added that Ban's position is that "the onus is on Iran to prove the peaceful nature of its nuclear program."
Earlier Thursday, EU diplomats said that the European Union may approve fresh sanctions against Iran within weeks, after a UN agency said Tehran had worked to design nuclear bombs.
Iran denies trying to build atom bombs and its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said any US or Israeli attack on its nuclear sites would be met with "iron fists."
The United States and Israel have refused to rule out any option to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal.
Also Thursday, the White House called the IAEA report "very alarming" and said it would continue to pressure Tehran to "change its behavior."
"They need to get right with the world and live up to their obligations with regards to their nuclear program. We will continue to pursue that going forward in the wake of this very alarming report," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.
Diplomats in Brussels said preliminary discussions among EU capitals on new measures had begun and plans may be ready for EU foreign ministers in Brussels to approve on 1 December.
"Experts are discussing a number of options on the table but it is difficult to foresee the outcome of the debate," one EU diplomat said. Another said he expected a formal decision to be reached on 1 December.
EU sanctions would be a significant part of Western efforts to ratchet up pressure on Tehran after the UN nuclear watchdog's report this week that laid bare a trove of intelligence suggesting Iran is seeking nuclear weapons.
Western governments would prefer UN Security Council measures against Tehran, but Russia and China are opposed.
China reiterated its view that sanctions would not work.
"We always believe that dialogue and cooperation is the right way to solve the Iranian nuclear issue. Sanctions cannot fundamentally solve the issue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, calling for more diplomacy.
Tehran, which says its nuclear programme is for producing electricity and other peaceful purposes, said on Wednesday it remains ready for negotiations with world powers on the issue.
Western diplomats say only sanctions against Iran's energy sector could exert serious pressure on Tehran, but such steps would also hurt a global economy hit by Europe's debt crisis.
Some EU governments are wary of inflicting economic pain on the Iranian people or of closing potential communication channels by targeting Iranian officials. Others fret about the damage oil sanctions could do to their own economic interests.
Germany, Britain and France, along with the United States, Russia and China, form a group of powers negotiating with Iran. The last round of talks stalled at the start of this year.
Iran already faces a wide range of UN sanctions, as well as some imposed unilaterally by the United States and the EU.
Tension over Iran's nuclear program has increased since Tuesday when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Tehran appeared to have worked on designing a bomb and may still be conducting secret research to that end.
Media speculation about possible US or Israeli military action has also intensified since the IAEA report, denounced by Iran as "unbalanced" and "politically motivated".
Khamenei said Iran would retaliate against any attack by its foes, but had no intention of starting a "bloody war".
"Our enemies, particularly the Zionist regime (Israel), America and its allies, should know that any kind of threat and attack or even thinking about any (military) action will be firmly responded to," Khamenei said on state television
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