WarSclerotic

UN nuclear chief ‘concerned’ over Iran plan to increase uranium production – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Yukiya Amano to meet with Iran foreign minister in bid to check nuclear program, restore confidence in international community.

By Reuters

The UN nuclear chief said on Wednesday that he planned to meet with Iran’s foreign minister next week, adding that he was “quite concerned” over Tehran’s plans to triple uranium production capacity.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told Reuters in the Colombian capital, Bogota, that he planned to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi next week, but had no firm details on the meeting.

	Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Yukiya Amano in January 2011.
	Photo by: AP

“The most important message for Iran is that they need to fully implement the safeguard agreement and other relevant obligations. Further cooperation is needed to restore the confidence of the international community,” he said.

“We are quite concerned about that,” Amano said, confirming that the IAEA had received a “very simple” letter from Iran about the plans.

Iran announced last month it would shift its production of higher-grade uranium to an underground bunker and triple output capacity in a defiant move that has further fueled Western unease about Tehran’s intentions.

Western powers suspect Iran is seeking to develop a nuclear weapons capability while Tehran rejects the charge, saying its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at generating electricity.

Iran’s refusal to halt enrichment has led to four rounds of UN sanctions on the major oil producer, as well tighter U.S. and European Union restrictions.

Iran’s determination to press ahead with a nuclear program suggests that the sanctions have thus far failed to force the Islamic state to back down in the long-running dispute over its atomic aims.

Amano reiterated he would consider accepting an invitation to visit Iran but stressed it would have to yield concrete results: “For now I don’t see, unfortunately, progress.”

When asked about Syria — which the IAEA’s board reported to the Security Council in early June for covert atomic work — Amano said that there had been no “concrete progress”.

Israel fears Iran and North Korea strengthening ties – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Israeli officials say Pyongyang is helping Iran develop its military nuclear program, add that if Iran was only interested in nuclear energy for civilian purposes, Russia’s aid should suffice.

By Amos Harel

Iran and North Korea are tightening their relations after a lull, defense sources have told Haaretz. Israeli defense officials are concerned about the development, saying it may reflect an expansion of North Korean aid to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs.

In May, the Iranian and North Korean foreign ministers met during a conference of the Non-Aligned Movement in Malaysia. It was a rare public meeting of senior officials from the two countries.

	Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on April 18, 2011.
	Photo by: AP

Israeli officials believe that Pyongyang is helping Iran develop its military nuclear program, saying that if Iran was only interested in nuclear energy for civilian purposes, Russia’s aid on the matter should have sufficed.

A report by a UN team of experts, whose publication is being delayed by Chinese opposition, has criticized North Korea for its relationship with Iran, which essentially violates the sanctions on both countries. The report says North Korea violated the sanctions when it supplied missile technology to Iran. The components were regularly shipped from North Korean to Iran via a third country, the report said.

Last week, Iran conducted a major missile-launching exercise. It said it launched 14 missiles, including the Shihab 3, which can reach Israel. British Foreign Minister William Hague said the missiles were capable of carrying nuclear warheads and the tests were in violation of a UN resolution.

Meanwhile, the new U.S. secretary of defense, Leon Panetta, did not mention the Iranian nuclear problem when listing his priorities at his inauguration last week. He said his top four priorities were retaining American military strength in an era of budget cuts, defeating Al-Qaida, stabilizing Afghanistan and building a true long-term partnership with Iraq.