Suspend or terminate Iran's nuclear enrichment activities-- a question for clarification

Iran responded to a proposal of the foreign ministers of six nations, namely the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, on its nuclear issue on August 22. There are signs to indicate that Iran did not explicitly accept the demand on the suspension of its nuclear enrichment activities, and the country also likely rejected the demand, though contents of its reply have not been released.

Superficially, whether or not Iran will suspend its nuclear enrich activities is the focus of a dispute between Iran and the international community. Despite the latter's request for the suspension of Iran's nuclear enrichment activities, it is still possible for Iran to refuse again.. And no parties concerned will benefit from the dilemma or confrontation that might result in expected, grave outcome.

Iran takes it as its just right to carry out nuclear low-density enrichment activities in developing its civilian-use nuclear energy. The international community acknowledges this rightful claim while insisting on Iran honoring its promise not to develop nuclear weapons and promptly reporting to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) its important nuclear activities.

Apparently, Iran did not report timely to the international community its main atomic activities in the past and so the IAEA could not confirm the nuclear materials and nuclear activities which Iran had not reported to it.

There exist two possibilities concerning the Iranian actions of developing the civilian-use nuclear energy and non-civilian use nuclear energy secretively and both are "in violation of accord". Since the possibility for Iran's nuclear activities cannot be excluded, an all-round inspection is a must, so as to clarify the nature of the country's nuclear activities. And it is also appropriate to request Iran from suspending its enrichment activities during the nuclear inspection.

Iran is concerned that it will not be permitted to conduct nuclear enrichment activities even after a through-going inspection by the international community and thus the temporary suspension of enrichment activities will be turned into a permanent one. This will deprive the country of its lawful right and cannot be accepted. Moreover, Iran is worried that a possible plan for the non-peaceful use of nuclear energy can possibly be exposed during the comprehensive nuclear inspection.

Under the present international situation, Iran still has to keep to the right to the enrichment of uranium for civilian-use, so as to retain the strategic choice of the purpose and means for the future nuclear energy development.

Therefore, the international community, while insisting on Iran's temporary suspension of enrichment activities, should not link it too early with the termination of the country's enrichment activities. Meanwhile, it seems improper at present for the international community to refer to the sole reliance on import nuclear fuel as the only way out for Iran.

What the international community now needs to do is to urge Iran to clarify its history and, on this basis, it can resume its right to the low-intensity nuclear enrichment activities independently, as long as it cooperates fully with the international community and accepts the rigid security mechanism from IAEA. So it is a good thing to eradicate the possibility for Iran to develop non-civilian-use nuclear energy in the years ahead through a strict, close inspection of nuclear activities. And this is precisely the work the international community should do and can possibly do it well.

By People's Daily Online