Iran To Reject The IAEA’s Nuclear Agreement

According to French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, Iran has effectively turned down the deal brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Today, in an interview with an Israeli newspaper, Bernard Kouchner said that “the answer has almost been given and it is negative.”

It has been 3 weeks since the IAEA put together a comprehensive agreement under which other countries, such as Russia or France, would help Iran enrich the uranium it requires for civil use only. Russian President Medvedev warned Iran today over the nuclear deadlock. President Medvedev said, after talks with President Obama, that neither he nor the US President were satisfied with the pace of the progress, and warned Iran it could face new and tougher sanctions if there is no progress in the negotiations over its nuclear program.

“Our goal is clear, it is transparent. We are prepared to work further to ensure Iran’s nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes. In case we fail, the other options remain on the table, in order to move the process in a different direction,” President Medvedev said.

Russia has the strongest historical ties with Iran of any major power, and has some leverage on Tehran. If Russia  doesn’t block any longer tough sanctions on Iran, and joins the US and the EU on the matter, it would completely isolate Iran from the international community.

Today, while in the middle of his Asian trip, President Obama expressed his disappointment with the lack of progress on the Iranian nuclear issue. President Obama warned that time was running out for Iran to sign on the IAEA deal that would ship its enriched uranium out of the Islamic Republic for further processing.

President Obama was standing beside Russian President Medvedev, after the two leaders met Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

“We are now running out of time. Unfortunately, so far at least, Iran appears to have been unable to say yes to what everyone acknowledges is a creative and constructive approach,” President Obama said.