Sun, 27 Sep 2009 6:23p.m.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahrmadinejad
By Laura Turner
Tensions between Iran and the US have not yet exploded, but the fuse has been lit.
There are fears Iran could have a nuclear bomb within a year, following the admission of a second enrichment plant.
President Barack Obama has accused the country of a disturbing pattern of evasion, and threatened harsh sanctions.
Diffusion of the situation hinges on a historic meeting between the two countries in Geneva on Thursday.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahrmadinejad arrived home from the UN meeting this week defiant his country would not back down on its nuclear program.
One senior official said the new plant would soon be in operation and would make the enemies blind.
Yesterday the US revealed it has known about the nuclear plant for several years – yet Iran only informed the nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, a few days ago.
Western leaders have accused Iran of deceiving the world over its nuclear intentions, but Iran says it is completely stunned by the criticism.
“We anticipated that Western countries would welcome this announcement,” says Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation head Ali Akbar Salehi.
Iran’s president has responded by announcing fresh missile tests. It is hitting back at the US which has accused it of not just twisting, but defying, the rules.
“I think that’s not really possible for the Iranians to prove their intentions are peaceful because even if today that is their intention, they might change their view tomorrow,” says Former UN Weapons Inspector Dr Hans Blix.
President Obama has threatened harsh sanctions against Iran, and demanded it prove it has no plans to build nuclear weapons.
The US and five other major powers will meet with Iran in Geneva on Thursday, where they are expected to demand unfettered access to the plant.
“Iran’s leaders must now choose,” Obama said.
“They can live up to their responsibilities and achieve integration with the community of nations, or they will face increased pressure and isolation, and deny opportunity to their own people.”
The so-called “increased pressure” would see the US attempt to prevent iran from being able to have its oil refined in countries like Dubai.
Iran has said such sanctions would have such a huge effect on its economy they would consider them an act of war, and would immediately close the Strait of Hormuz – forcing the US to take some sort of military action.
The likelihood of such a serious move hinges on negotiations on October 1.
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