US official calls for UNSC statement on Iran

A US official has said if IAEA decides to report on Iran at UNSC, a statement from the council president would be an appropriate step.

A Senior US official has said if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decides to report Iran's failure to comply with its nuke obligations to the UN Security Council, a statement from the Council President would be an appropriate first step.

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"We believe an appropriate first step would be a statement from the President of the UN Security Council that calls on Iran to take the very same steps that the IAEA Board of Governors has repeatedly called on Iran to take," acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Non-proliferation Stephen Rademaker said.

In an interactive session on the internet on Iran's challenges to the global non-proliferation regime, Mr Rademaker said these steps include:

Renewing a full suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment-related efforts;

•Providing the IAEA with its full cooperation;

•Halting a heavy-water reactor project that the United States and others consider to be unnecessary;

•Ratifying the IAEA's Additional Protocol; and

•Re-establishing negotiations in good faith with Great Britain, France and Germany (the EU3).

Rademaker pointed out that the US and other members of the IAEA were not trying to prevent Iran from exercising its right under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop peaceful uses for nuclear energy.

President Bush had "confirmed that the US recognises and supports that right" he said.

"Our problem is that there is compelling evidence that Iran's nuclear program is not peaceful," Rademaker said.

He added, "The evidence is not just based on US intelligence, but on an extensive and ongoing IAEA investigation."

The State Department official also made it clear that the US "at present is not seeking punitive action against Iran at the Security Council.