View From Washington: Boucher And Bolton on Iran's Nuclear Program

The official stance of the United States government is that the Iranian regime has announced it will halt the construction of centrifuges that produce enriched uranium, which is used in the making of atomic bombs. Two days after inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) entered Iran to inspect its nuclear facilities, the Iranian regime declared it would stop building centrifuges. Last month, in March, Tehran banned the entry of atomic inspectors to Iran in response to an IAEA report stating that Iran had failed to disclose key components of its nuclear programs. According to some reports, an Iranian official stated that Iran decided to stop building centrifuges to gain more trust from the IAEA. Richard Boucher, the spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, said that Iran's announcement to stop building centrifuges cannot alleviate concerns that Iran is secretly attempting to produce an atomic bomb. If we look at the history of this issue and the resolutions passed by the IAEA in November and March, we see that further steps are needed, and until now, Iran has not adequately fulfilled any of them. Therefore, the issue is not just about stopping some actions. John Bolton, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, stated that Iran's nuclear programs represent one of the most serious challenges of nuclear proliferation we face today. According to Mr. Bolton, the latest IAEA report seriously questions Iran's compliance with commitments made to European foreign ministers last year. At that time, Iran committed to halting all uranium enrichment activities and promised to provide complete details of its nuclear programs to the agency. Mr. Bolton asks if Iran has fulfilled its commitments, then why did it previously delay the inspection program? The public and repeated statements by high-ranking Iranian officials that once issues with the IAEA are resolved, Iran will resume its uranium enrichment program emphasize the questions of whether Iran's agreements with European countries achieved their intended goals of preventing the continuation of Iran's nuclear weapons programs. Mr. Bolton states that if Iran does not comply with its commitments, then the IAEA must fulfill its duty and report Iran's shortcomings to the United Nations Security Council for necessary actions. According to Mr. Bolton, if rogue states are unwilling to adhere to the principles of nuclear non-proliferation, they must prepare to face the harmful consequences. This is why we have repeatedly warned that no action or decision can be beyond the imagination of the Security Council.