Iran Agrees to Halt All Uranium Enrichment Activities

The United Nations nuclear watchdog
said that Iran has agreed to suspend all uranium enrichment
activities, according to a resolution passed by the International
Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
The accord was reached after Iran sent a letter yesterday
withdrawing its request to exempt 20 nuclear centrifuges and
allowing them to be put under surveillance, said Hossein
Mousavian, head of the Iranian delegation to the IAEA. He added
that Iran was co-operating ``in full transparency.''
The IAEA ``welcomes the fact that Iran has decided to
continue and extend its suspension of all enrichment-related and
reprocessing activities,'' according to a copy of the resolution
obtained by Bloomberg News. The agency emphasized that although
the suspension is voluntary, ``it is essential for confidence-
building'' in the international community.
The resolution, drafted by negotiators from Britain, France,
and Germany, was adopted today by consensus by the IAEA board of
directors. The accord may lead to Iran having more trade with the
European Union. The U.S. has accused the Islamic republic of
running a clandestine nuclear weapons program and says it should
be subject to UN sanctions.
Iran, the second-largest oil exporter in the Middle East,
has said it wants to enrich uranium only for nuclear energy.
Centrifuges spin at supersonic speeds and can enrich uranium
hexaflouride gas, which can be used in atomic weapons.

U.S. Reaction

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said the IAEA ``will
need to remain vigilant'' and continue to verify Iran's
compliance.
Jackie Sanders, President George W. Bush's envoy on nuclear
non-proliferation, told the IAEA board that the U.S. maintains
that Iran has a nuclear weapons program which ``poses a growing
threat to international peace and security.'' The U.S. also
retains the right to bring Iran before the UN Security Council
for possible sanctions without the IAEA's backing, she said.
The resolution also asks the IAEA's director general Mohamed
ElBaradei to report on Iran ``as appropriate'' and drops the
country from the agency's mandatory agenda at its next meeting in
March.
``This is a positive step in the right direction that
mitigates international concern and builds confidence,'' said
ElBaradei, adding that the disputed centrifuges are now under
camera surveillance.
The IAEA will make sure ``that there are no undeclared
nuclear materials or activities in Iran,'' the resolution said.
Iran will start talks with the EU on trade and technology
Dec. 15, said Mousavian, who expects results in three months.
Iran's suspension of enrichment-related activities will last
as long as progress in talks with the EU is being made, said
Sirius Naseri, a member of Iran's delegation to the IAEA.
Negotiations with the Europeans were ``excruciating but
friendly,'' he said.