Russia moves closer to U.S. over Iran

WASHINGTON – Russia appeared Tuesday to close ranks with the United States and Europe over Iran’s nuclear program, after briefly promoting a plan that would have allowed Iran to conduct small-scale uranium enrichment research, which the Bush administration strongly opposes.

The move indicated that Russia would join the United States and the European Union in sending the impasse over Iran’s uranium enrichment program to the U.N. Security Council, which can impose economic and political sanctions.

Russia had faced stiff U.S. and European opposition to its plan to allow Iran to conduct small-scale uranium enrichment work in return for postponing an industrial-size effort for up to nine years. Iran has threatened to start such a large effort if the issue goes to the Security Council.

“There is no compromise new Russian proposal,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov asserted during a news conference with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Enrichment produces low-enriched uranium for power plants and highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.

The 35-nation board of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency voted Feb. 4 to send the issue to the Security Council. But it agreed to allow a month for a diplomatic resolution at the suggestion of Russia and China, which have hefty financial interests in oil-rich Iran.

The board was expected to wrap up a meeting at IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, today without reconsidering its decision, clearing the way for Security Council deliberations.

U.S. and European officials are demanding that Tehran abandon all enrichment activities because of suspicions that Iran is secretly developing a nuclear arsenal, a charge Iranian officials deny.

Vice President Dick Cheney warned Tuesday that the international community would “not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon” and “is prepared to impose meaningful consequences” on Tehran if it refuses to abandon its program.

“The United States is keeping all options on the table,” Cheney told AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobbying group, in Washington.

Iran insists it has the right to enrichment for peaceful purposes under the non-proliferation treaty, the basis of the global system to prevent the spread of nuclear arms.