Russian move on Iran challenges EU unity

A looming compromise on Iran's nuclear programme stemming from the latest Russian proposal has put the unity of the EU3 countries - Britain, France and Germany - to the test, agency reports indicate.

A deal ending the dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme appeared to come closer on Monday (6 March) as the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed El Baradei expressed optimism over the Iran dossier.

"I am still very much hopeful that in the next week or so an agreement could be reached," Mr El Baradei stated according to Reuters, ahead of the UN nuclear watchdog’s meeting in Vienna this week.

The new optimism over a diplomatic solution to the dispute is said to have arisen from the latest Russian compromise proposal which would allow Tehran some small-scale nuclear enrichment on its own soil, under IAEA supervision.

Under an earlier proposal backed by the US and the EU, Moscow had offered to conduct all uranium enrichment for Iran on its own territory as a safeguard against the risk of Tehran developing an atomic bomb.

But Moscow’s latest plan, which would also see some nuclear activity take place in Iran itself, could divide the west, agency reports indicate.

Reuters and AP write that of the three EU states handling the Iran dossier on behalf of the bloc, Germany is cautiously backing the Russian proposal, while the UK and France oppose it together with the US.

Germany is the one that "could most live with a pilot enrichment plant in Iran," a European diplomat told Reuters, adding however that Berlin would never allow Tehran to break EU unity in the standoff.

A US state department spokesman rebuffed the idea of small-scale enrichment on Iranian soil, saying "You can't be just a little pregnant."

Washington is instead pressing for sanctions against Tehran by the UN security council, which might take up the Iran file after this week’s IAEA meeting.

The IAEA already referred the Iran nuclear case to the security council last month, but under pressure from veto powers Russia and China it has not taken any action so far.

This could change after this week’s hearing by the IAEA of a recent report by Mr El Baradei, which discusses Tehran’s insufficient co-operation with IAEA nuclear inspectors among other issues.