Bush's written statement came after 27 of the 35 states on the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) voted to send the issue of Iran's nuclear program to the Security Council. Sanctions could follow. However, the resolution also put off any action until a report is delivered by the IAEA chief Muhammad el-Baradei at the next IAEA meeting, on 6 March.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States hopes Iran will heed the "clear message" from the IAEA.
However, shortly after the vote, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad ordered the resumption of uranium enrichment. Iranian sate television said Ahmadinejad had also ordered an end to unannounced inspections of its facilities by UN nuclear inspectors. The measures came into effect on 5 February.
(Reuters, AP, AFP)
The IAEA Resolution
On 2 February, the 35-member Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency began discussing a draft resolution aimed at referring the matter of Iran's nuclear program to the United Nations Security Council. The key section of the resolution is Section 1, which states that the Board of Governors:
Underlines that outstanding questions can best be resolved and confidence built in the exclusive peaceful nature of Iran's program by Iran responding positively to the calls for confidence building measures which the Board has made on Iran, and in this context deems it necessary for Iran to:
- reestablish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and processing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the Agency;
- reconsider the construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water;
- ratify promptly and implement in full Additional Protocol;
- pending ratification, continue to act in accordance with the provisions of the Additional Protocol with Iran signed on 18 December 2003;
- implement the transparency measures, as requested by the Director General, which extend beyond the former requirements of the Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, and include such access to individuals, documentation relating to procurement, dual use equipment, certain military-owned workshops and research and development as the Agency may request in support of its ongoing investigations.
THE COMPLETE TEXT: To read the complete text of the resolution, click here.
THE COMPLETE PICTURE: RFE/RL's complete coverage of controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program.