Iran lashes out at West over slain scientist, but hints at diplomatic opening
By Thomas Erdbrink and Joby Warrick,
WashPosst
Published: January 13 | Updated: Saturday, January 14, 3:10 AM
TEHRAN — Iran on Friday hurled new threats of retaliation against the West for the assassination of one of its nuclear scientists but also signaled a readiness to negotiate on at least one of the nuclear disputes behind the country’s worsening feud with the United States.
Even as angry throngs swarmed the memorial services for slain scientist Mostafa
Ahmadi-Roshan, state-run news media confirmed a visit to the country later this month by a special U.N. delegation to discuss alleged secret research by Iran on designing a nuclear warhead. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which will dispatch its delegation to Tehran on Jan. 28, has been pressing Iranian leaders for years to come clean about experiments.
Iran’s invitation to the IAEA was the first conciliatory gesture since the country’s leaders threatened last month to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for economic sanctions. But Western diplomats and nuclear experts on Friday expressed skepticism about the meeting, noting that Iran continues to move aggressively to enlarge its stockpile of enriched uranium in defiance of U.N. and Western demands.
Olli Heinonen, the IAEA’s former top inspector, warned in an interview that Iran may be seeking to buy more time by initiating talks without freezing its production of the nuclear fuel used in weapons and at nuclear power plants.
(More here.)
WashPosst
Published: January 13 | Updated: Saturday, January 14, 3:10 AM
TEHRAN — Iran on Friday hurled new threats of retaliation against the West for the assassination of one of its nuclear scientists but also signaled a readiness to negotiate on at least one of the nuclear disputes behind the country’s worsening feud with the United States.
Even as angry throngs swarmed the memorial services for slain scientist Mostafa
Ahmadi-Roshan, state-run news media confirmed a visit to the country later this month by a special U.N. delegation to discuss alleged secret research by Iran on designing a nuclear warhead. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which will dispatch its delegation to Tehran on Jan. 28, has been pressing Iranian leaders for years to come clean about experiments.
Iran’s invitation to the IAEA was the first conciliatory gesture since the country’s leaders threatened last month to block the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for economic sanctions. But Western diplomats and nuclear experts on Friday expressed skepticism about the meeting, noting that Iran continues to move aggressively to enlarge its stockpile of enriched uranium in defiance of U.N. and Western demands.
Olli Heinonen, the IAEA’s former top inspector, warned in an interview that Iran may be seeking to buy more time by initiating talks without freezing its production of the nuclear fuel used in weapons and at nuclear power plants.
(More here.)
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2 Comments:
IMO, the sanctions are having a big effect … Japan has announced that they will cut the imports of Iranian oil … the US has just added three more companies to the list of foreign companies (in China, Singapore, and UAR) that face sanctions if they continue to support Iran’s oil production. UK credit and financial institutions are now required to cease business relationships and transactions with all Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Iran … Canada has done the same thing. France has called for its international partners to impose a freeze of Iran’s central banks assets and an oil embargo.
The Obama administration has taken more actions on Iran sanctions than the George W. Bush administration ever did.
I wonder about other possibilities than the CIA, UK or Israel.
How about an internal assassination … would the Iranians be willing to use him to blame America, the UK and Israel … and also send a message to the other scientists. Do we know if maybe he was not following orders, and thus expendable ?
I guess I have a little problem with thinking that an Israeli could go undercover in the country to perform the killing … even hiring an agent would put them at risk … remember the CIA lost 7 agents when they thought they were hiring Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, the Jordanian doctor, as an agent (except he was a double agent).
Another possibility is Russia or Pakistan … both nuclear powers and they do not want Iran to join the club (and thus become a threat to other countries, not just Israel.) Remember that Russia and Pakistan have worked with Iran on their nuclear program, so they would know “Who” to kill and “where” would be the easiest to do it.
IMO, the sanctions are having a big effect … Japan has announced that they will cut the imports of Iranian oil … the US has just added three more companies to the list of foreign companies (in China, Singapore, and UAR) that face sanctions if they continue to support Iran’s oil production. UK credit and financial institutions are now required to cease business relationships and transactions with all Iranian banks, including the Central Bank of Iran … Canada has done the same thing. France has called for its international partners to impose a freeze of Iran’s central banks assets and an oil embargo.
The Obama administration has taken more actions on Iran sanctions than the George W. Bush administration ever did.
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