Russia says military action against Iran would be a serious problem

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that military action against Iran would be a "very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences". Lavrov said diplomacy was the only way to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem.

His comments follow the news that Israel's President Shimon Peres' announced that an attack on the Islamic Republic was inevitable. The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to reveal whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons. The IAEA report due out this week is expected to provide compelling evidence of Iran's nuclear activities that the country will reportedly find impossible to dismiss.

Iran has continually insisted that its nuclear programme was designed for civilian purposes only. The country's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi has said the alleged evidence is a fabrication and part of a multi-pronged US smear campaign against his country.

Asked to comment on Peres' views, Lavrov said: "Our position on this issue is well-known: this would be a very serious mistake fraught with unpredictable consequences."

For his part Peres told the press that the “only path for removing concerns is to create every possible condition" to resume the talks between Iran and six world powers - including Russia, which broke down in December last year. He noted: "I don't think that any decision has already been made, but there is an impression that Iran is getting closer to nuclear weapons."

It is thought that the evidence in the report includes intelligence that Iran made computer models of a nuclear warhead, as well as satellite images of what the IAEA believes is a large steel container used for high-explosives tests related to nuclear arms.

Sources: Press TV, BBC News, The Guardian

For more news and expert analysis about Iran, please see Iran Strategic Focus.

Iran is moving its nuclear programme to a new facility

Reports have emerged that Iran is moving its nuclear programme to a new facility located inside a mountain near Qom, which can withstand air and missile strikes. Iran disclosed the Fowrdow facility's location after Western intelligence sources reported its existence.

Speaking about the developments in the Islamic Republic to The Daily Telegraph, former head of UN nuclear inspections Olli Heinonen, said: “We see Iran moving in the direction of becoming a nuclear weapons capable state.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has expressed concern over the move, and Iran's plans to start operation enrichment centrifuges at Fordow "by this summer".

UK's Foreign Secretary William Hague said Iran would need less than three months to turn the enriched uranium into weapons grade material at Fordow. He warned that the country's claims to "allow International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitoring is not a safeguard," because "Iran has a persistent record of evasion and obfuscation with the IAEA."

In a bid to counteract Western fears, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said the country has disavowed its nuclear weapons. He noted: "Our Supreme Leader has explained that the production and use of atomic weapons is wrong, not only in terms of foreign policy but on religious grounds.”

Iran says it needs 20 per cent uranium to make fuel for a medical re-search reactor near Tehran after the failure of talks on a deal that would have seen foreign countries supply the material.

Sources: PressTV, The Daily Telegraph, Voice of America

For more news and expert analysis about Iran, please see Iran Strategic Focus.

EU rejects Iran's offer of nuclear tour

EU's Foreign Policy Chief, Baroness Ashton, has said that the agency has rejected Iran's offer to tour its nuclear facilities, as it is the responsibility of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Speaking about the EU's decision Lady Ashton said it was regrettable, but remained hopeful about the talks with Tehran due to take place later this month.

"What I'll be saying is the role of the inspections of nuclear sites is for the IAEA and I do hope Iran will ensure that the IAEA is able to go and continue and fulfill its work," said Lady Ashton.

Iran said it was willing to give a tour of its nuclear grounds to a number of key world powers including representatives from China and Russia, but not the US. Lady Ashton said she had consulted with both Russia and China before deciding to decline the invitation. The tour, should the invitation have been accepted, would have taken place ahead of the second round of talks about Iran's nuclear programme scheduled to take place in Istanbul later in January.

"I obviously coordinated with the other members of the E3+3 (six powers) who were invited. My view is that though this is not an invitation that I'm taking a negative view of, it's not our job, and looking at the sites and establishing what they are requires expertise," Lady Ashton said, referring to IAEA inspectors.

The UN and the US suspects Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons, but Iran insists that its nuclear programme is designed for civilian purposes only. Some have spoken out against Iran's invitation accusing the Islamic republic of trying to dupe the West in to a false sense of security while aiming to split the six world powers and wane the sanctions against Tehran.

In trying to counteract these accusations Iran's interim Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said that the offer was meant as a "goodwill gesture".

"We have invited the ambassadors of the European Union and Non-Aligned Movement (developing countries) entities ... to visit Iran's nuclear facilities so that the lies propagated by some non-benevolent countries regarding Iran's nuclear activities are shown," said Salehi.

The second round of nuclear talks between Tehran, and the permanent UN Security Council members - the U.S. Russia, China, Britain, France - plus Germany, is due to take place in late January, but the date is yet to be confirmed.

Sources: BBC News, Reuters, RadioFreeEurope, The Voice of Russia

For more news and expert analysis about Iran, please see Iran Strategic Focus.