EU countries ready to bring Iran case to Security Council

VIENNA • The European Union continued efforts yesterday to bring Iran’s nuclear program before the UN Security Council over suspicions it wants atomic bombs, preparing a rough draft of a resolution pressing for action.

Diplomats said Britain, France and Germany hoped to submit the draft this week to the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which began meeting yesterday, urging it to report Iran to the Council, a move that Canada also supports.

“I am demonstrating to you that my patience is very thin,” said Pierre Pettigrew, the Canadian Foreign Minister. “Should we not see any better signs than we've seen in the last few weeks, including the reactions of the present Iranian government to the EU-3 countries, Canada will be supporting moving that file to the Security Council.”

But several of the 25 EU countries had expressed reservations about sending Tehran to the Council, but at a meeting of the bloc’s representatives in Vienna yesterday they reached a consensus backing the EU trio’s plan.

“ There is no point in delaying it,” an EU diplomat said, summing up the conclusion of the meeting in Vienna. “ The real problem is Russia. It will be difficult to convince the Russians.”

At a breakfast meeting with EU foreign ministers in New York, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged them to consider delaying their plan to involve the UN’s highest body.

Mr. Lavrov argued it was vital to maintain the unity of the international community to put pressure on Iran, two European participants told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Mr. Lavrov did not rule out backing a referral later, they said.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei also called on Iran and the EU trio to avoid confrontation and return to the negotiating table.

The United States, which has long accused Tehran of seeking nuclear bombs, is pushing for fast action after Britain, France and Germany failed to convince Iran to mothball its nuclear fuel program in return for political and economic incentives.

“ We think a report to the Security Council is long overdue,” said U. S. ambassador to the IAEA Gregory Schulte.