Iran urges United Nations to oppose US 'threats'

Iran asked the United Nations on May 1 to take a stand against US threats that it said included possible nuclear strikes on its territory and that were "in total contempt of international law." In a letter to Secretary General Kofi Annan, Javad Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, pointed to recent comments by President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on ways to halt Iran's nuclear program and to news reports of Pentagon planning for possible nuclear attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran. "Such dangerous statements, particularly those of the United States president, widely considered in political and media circles as a tacit confirmation of the shocking news on the administration's possible contemplation of nuclear strikes against certain targets in Iran, defiantly articulate the United States' policies and intentions on the resort to nuclear weapons," Zarif wrote in the letter. He said the comments by the United States were "matters of extreme gravity that require an urgent, concerted and resolute response on the part of the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council." Zarif also faulted the United Nations for remaining silent on "these illegal and inexcusable threats" and said the lack of action had "emboldened senior United States officials to go further and even consider the use of nuclear weapons as 'an option on the table.'" US officials have said they are pursuing a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, but they have repeatedly said that all options, including military ones, are being considered. Iran says its nuclear program is only for producing energy, but the United States and its European allies contend that Iran is preparing to build weapons. Last month, the UN Security Council adopted a non-binding statement that urged Iran to stop enriching uranium and asked the International Atomic Energy Agency to report on Iran's compliance by the end of April. That report, issued on Apr. 26, said that Iran had failed to comply and that it had drastically curtailed its cooperation with the agency's inspectors as it sped forward with nuclear enrichment. On May 2, the United States, Britain and France revealed their draft of a binding UN Security Council resolution requiring Iran to stop critical nuclear activities. The resolution falls under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which makes compliance mandatory under international law and holds out the possibility of economic penalties and military action. China and Russia are resisting any measure that imposes sanctions on Iran, and weeks of negotiations are anticipated. However, Rice warned on Apr. 30 that the United States might take steps outside the UN Security Council to pressure Iran to stop its nuclear program. "I absolutely believe that we have a lot of diplomatic arrows in our quiver at the Security Council and also like-minded states that would be able and willing to look at additional measures if the Security Council does not move quickly enough," Rice said on the CBS show "Face the Nation." Rice accused Iran of "playing games" with the international community, saying Tehran had had plenty of time to comply with earlier demands to halt its program. Last week, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicated that he is open to talks with Washington. In an hour-long press conference on Apr. 24, Ahmadinejad said Iran "is ready to talk to all world countries, but negotiation with anybody has its own conditions," and then specifically named the United States. "If these conditions are met, we will negotiate." Ahmadinejad's remark, which was reported by the independent, Paris-based Iran News Service, went unnoticed in the US media. Only a few days later, the US State Department's annual report on terrorism worldwide described Iran as the most active state sponsor of terrorism. In response to the refusal of the US to negotiate, to relinquish military options and it's escalating vilification of their country, Iran said if attacked by the United States, it would strike US targets around the world and retaliate against Israel in particular.