According to a BBC report Iranian delegates walked out of a meeting of the UN atomic agency in September that set a deadline of October 31 for Iran to comply with the conditions for inspections.

Following that meeting the governments of France, Germany and Russia have pressed Tehran to agree to the IAEA conditions in hopes of holding Washington at bay.

The Iranian government’s decision to agree to the conditions was announced October 21 after a meeting in Tehran between Iranian government officials and the foreign ministers of Britain, France, and Germany. It was announced 10 days before a deadline imposed by the IAEA for Tehran to sign an “Additional Protocol” to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, giving the United Nations agency unrestricted access to Iran’s nuclear facilities and requiring that Tehran halt, at least temporarily, the enrichment of uranium.

Bush said the initiative by the European Union powers was “an effective approach.” Other White House officials insisted Washington will keep up the pressure on the Iranian regime for further concessions.

The French and German foreign ministers said they welcomed the joint statement with the Iranian government.

British foreign secretary Jack Straw was more cautious, telling the BBC that “the proof is not in the words of the communiqué but about the implementation and compliance with the agency.”

Hasan Rowhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said that Tehran had already begun implementing the protocols months ago when it extended cooperation to IAEA inspectors. Rowhani said his government had decided to sign and carry out the “Additional Protocol” so that it could continue to pursue development of its nuclear industry for energy purposes. “Another agreement is that Iran would voluntarily suspend its uranium-enriching program for a while to show its good will and build confidence with the European and other powers,” Rowhani said.

In exchange for Tehran’s agreement to allow the inspections, London, Paris, and Berlin said in the joint statement with the Iranian government that they would ease Iran’s access to technology and supplies in a range of areas once they were satisfied that Tehran had complied with their demands.

The October 22 Moscow Times reported the Russian government had been “locked” in negotiations with Tehran for months over the return of waste fuel that would be produced by a nuclear power plant Moscow is helping to build in southern Iran. Washington had demanded that Moscow pull out of the joint project altogether.

On October 14, just three days before the head of the IAEA visited Iran, Moscow announced that plans to start up the plant next year would be delayed until 2005 due to technical reasons.

Of the three imperialist powers involved in the negotiations, Paris and Berlin maintained diplomatic and trade ties with Tehran following the 1979 revolution that overthrew the rule of the U.S.-backed shah. In 1997, for example, the French oil company, Total, signed a $2 billion deal with Tehran for exploitation of the South Pars gas field. Its predecessor, Compagnie Francaise de Petrole, operated in Iran from 1954 until the overthrow of the shah in 1979.

“What is essential now is that Iran needs to fully comply,” said White House press secretary Scott McClellan, “and end its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities.” Other Bush administration officials stated that Tehran must disclose additional information and take further steps by the October 31 deadline.

IAEA officials made the same point. Mark Gwozdecky, a spokesman for the agency, said Iran would be required to provide the agency with a full explanation of its past nuclear activities. The IAEA is scheduled to discuss whether Iran is in compliance on November 20. If the agency finds that “suspicions” remain it could refer the matter to the UN Security Council for consideration of possible sanctions.

Just days after announcing that it would allow the inspections, Tehran handed over documents about its nuclear capabilities to the UN agency. “We have submitted a report fully disclosing all our past activities in the nuclear field,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran’s representative to the IAEA.

IAEA officials, however, zeroed in on the absence of information about the origin of traces of weapons-grade uranium found by the atomic agency’s inspectors in two plants.

Salehi said that U.S. trade sanctions, imposed shortly after the 1979 overthrow of the shah, meant that Iran frequently had to purchase components and materials through “intermediaries.” For that reason, he said, the origin of the enriched uranium traces may be impossible to determine.

“We should know the origin of materials and equipment to verify the Iranian statement that this was the result of contamination,” IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei insisted.

About 1,000 people taking part in Friday prayers October 24 demonstrated against the agreement to allow intrusive inspections. Earlier that week, 100 people had held a similar protest outside the site of the talks between Tehran and the three EU foreign ministers. One banner read: “Shame on your hypocrisy, imperialist ambassadors!”

Washington has also accused Iran of harboring several top leaders of al Qaeda and aiding groups in Iraq that are opposed to the U.S. occupation. Last month National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said that the administration continues to insist that Iran must “transfer these people out.” Among the supposed al Qaeda leaders Washington says are in Iran is Osama bin Laden’s son.
 
 
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