Washington is Becoming Softer

The United States decided to change some articles in its draft resolution against Iran, making it softer. Washington did it in order to obtain the approval of the document by Russia and China, which have opposed tough sanctions. The reaction in Moscow and Beijing is still unknown. Iran itself is not responding to threats of new sanctions. The next meeting of the six international mediators on Iran will be held next week.

The international community has long suspected Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons. In response, the Islamic Republic continues to assert that it pursues nuclear technology for peaceful purposes only. Iran’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would answer many questions about the true intent of Tehran, but all efforts to start such a process have failed.

The United States wanted to introduce tough new sanctions against Iran in early 2010, but now those plans are on hold until at least the summer. Washington agreed to soften its version of the project.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. made concessions to the U.N. Security Council in order to obtain Russia and China’s approval of the resolution. At the same time, France and Germany, participating in the negotiations, also urged Washington to change its position.

The U.S. removed the parts of its draft resolution that would limit Tehran’s access to international banking and stock markets, and decided not to prohibit Iranian air and sea transport. Also, the Americans removed items on the prohibition of cooperation between international insurance companies with Iranian state companies and the prohibition of the sale of Iranian securities.

Note that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, during a visit to France in early March, warned that Moscow would only support reconciled, “smart” sanctions against Iran if it did not make concessions. At the same time, the Russian leader said that Moscow still hopes to persuade Tehran through diplomacy and not to aggravate the situation.

“Nevertheless, if it does not… Russia is willing to work together with our other partners to consider the imposition of sanctions,” said Medvedev, adding that sanctions should not be directed against the civilian population.

We note that, on Thursday, China announced its intention to fully participate in direct negotiations on new sanctions in the U.N. Security Council. Previously, Beijing dispatched diplomats with very low status, which effectively excluded China from the discussion at previous meetings. Apparently, Tehran’s reluctance to move toward the international community, as well as Moscow’s decision to support a new package of sanctions, changed Beijing’s stance. The willingness of the Americans to weaken their stance on the anti-Iranian resolution also played a role.

To finalize the sanctions, the six international mediators of Iran (Russia, USA, China, Britain, France and Germany) should come to a full agreement and then recommend a resolution for adoption by the U.N. Security Council, which has previously imposed sanctions against Tehran three times. These previous actions were not enough to force the Islamic republic to make its nuclear program transparent.

Iran has repeatedly been offered to exchange the entire stock of low enriched uranium for ready nuclear fuel, which the Europeans will produce from this uranium. Russia, France and Turkey were named as possible manufacturing countries, but Tehran does not want to wait until the uranium fuel rods are produced. It requires a simultaneous exchange.

The last time Iran announced its position was last week. The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, reiterated the Iranian stance on “one-time sharing.” “What we are saying now is that we are ready to deliver the total amount of fuel in one go, on condition that the exchange take place inside Iran and simultaneously. We are ready to deliver 1,200 kilos and to receive 120 kilos of 20 percent enriched uranium,” he said.

If Tehran does not change this stance, new sanctions will be virtually inevitable. According to the Wall Street Journal, they will be put against the large centers of power in Iran, especially against the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The draft states to freeze the overseas assets of IRGC and “any persons or entities acting on their behalf,” as well as all the companies controlled by them. Note that the IRGC is responsible for the development of the missile program of the Islamic Republic, and the blow to the sources of funding threatens to cause serious problems.