International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief inspector Mohamed El Baradei yesterday warned that the ‘brewing confrontation’ with Iran over its nuclear ambitions ‘must be defused.’
El Baradei told an IAEA meeting in Vienna: ‘I am increasingly disturbed by the current stalemate and the brewing confrontation – a stalemate that urgently needs to be broken, and a confrontation that must be defused.’
He was speaking at the beginning of a week-long meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation board of governors that could bring Tehran one step closer to a third round of sanctions against its nuclear programme.
Iran insists it is peacefully trying to generate electricity but the United States claims this is a cover to hide the development of atomic weapons.
Washington claims it wants a diplomatic solution but has refused to rule out a military intervention and has placed sizeable naval forces in the Persian Gulf.
El Baradei added: ‘I continue to believe that dialogue and diplomacy are ultimately the only way to achieve the negotiated solution forseen in the relevant (UN) Security Council resolutions.
‘The earlier that conditions are created to move in this direction, the better.’
So far, the UN Security Council has imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran to get it to suspend uranium enrichment and to come forth with information about suspect nuclear activities that could be weapons-related.
But, said El Baradei: ‘The facts on the ground indicate that Iran continues steadily to perfect its knowledge relevant to enrichment, and to expand the capacity of its enrichment facility’ in Natanz.
Iran is also continuing ‘with the construction of its heavy water reactor at Arak,’ El Baradei said.
