Iran continues to test patience of West
- Source: Global Times
- [01:19 February 10 2010]
- Comments
By Zhang Wen
Iran announced Tuesday that it has begun work to produce 20 percent enriched uranium, dismissing warnings of new sanctions from world powers, AFP reported.
The announcement brought Russia closer to the stance Western powers hold, while China maintained its calls for continued talks on the proposed UN nuclear deal for the Islamic republic.
"From today, we have started the 20 percent enrichment ... in Natanz," Iran's atomic chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, told the official IRNA news agency.
Russia, differing from previous statements, confirmed Tuesday a tougher stance on Iran, saying Tehran's uranium-enrichment move this week casts genuine doubt on its vow to not pursue nuclear weapons and must be met with stern consequences.
"Iran claims it is not trying to acquire nuclear weapons," Patrushev was quoted as saying by AFP. "But actions such as starting to enrich low-enriched uranium up to 20 percent raise doubts in other countries, and these doubts are fairly well-grounded."
However, China remained a stern opponent of further sanctions before more talks.
"We hope the relevant parties will exchange views on the draft deal on the Tehran research reactor and reach a common ground at an early date, which would help solve the issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said Tuesday.
Wu Xinbo, assistant dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University, said the adjustment of Russia's stance will put certain pressure on China.
"Among the current UN Security Council powers, China has close economic and trade relations with Iran, while Russia and Iran have only military cooperation," Wu said.
A recent Financial Times report said China is now Iran's top trading partner, overtaking the European Union. The volume of Iran's commerce with China stood at $36.5 billion in 2008, according to the Times, while the EU's trade with Iran totaled $35 billion for the same year. In return, Iran supplies 11 percent of China's energy needs, according to the Iran-China Chamber of Commerce.
But Wu said he doesn't see many benefits to Russia's siding with the US on sanctions.
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said new sanctions are "a matter of weeks, not months," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters as Gates prepared to leave Paris following a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, AFP noted.
Sarkozy and Gates agreed Monday to push for "strong" new UN anti-nuclear sanctions against Iran, a French presidential official said.
Karlis Neretnieks, a senior research fellow from the Institute for Security & Development Policy, noted that China is standing alone on the Iran issue. "Although Iran isn't worth China upsetting the US, China cannot gain much by standing with the US either," Neretnieks told the Global Times.
Agencies contributed to this story
