Iran faces censure for nuke program

VIENNA, Austria – Iran mixed public bluster with quiet diplomacy in a drive to soften U.N. criticism for its nuclear program. But on the eve of the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency conference, diplomats insisted Sunday that Tehran would be censured.

The diplomats said Iran hoped to temper the language of a draft resolution laden with negative terms for the Islamic republic’s lack of cooperation with a probe by the U.N. nuclear watchdog. The draft “deplores” omissions and delays by Iran or notes them with “serious concern.”

The resolution will likely be presented during a meeting of the IAEA board of governors starting Monday. The gathering will review an agency report that acknowledges Iran’s granting IAEA inspectors access to sites but otherwise gives Tehran low marks in eliminating concerns about activities the United States and its allies say point to attempts to make nuclear weapons.

Iran denies the charges, insisting its uranium enrichment program — which can be used to make bombs — is geared solely to generating electricity.

Under pressure since the start of international scrutiny a year ago, Iran has suspended uranium enrichment and stopped building centrifuges, and allowed IAEA inspections of its nuclear facilities without notice.

The draft resolution, written by France, Britain and Germany, urges Iran to halt operations of a plant it inaugurated in March that processes uranium into gas. The demand also calls for aborting plans to build a heavy water reactor.

But sounding a tough note, Iran’s Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi insisted the government would not give up its development of the nuclear fuel cycle. Iran says it has achieved the full cycle, but is not now enriching uranium.

“We can’t accept such an additional demand, which is contrary to our legal and legitimate rights,” he said Saturday in Tehran.

Kharrazi also condemned the draft as “unacceptable unless changes are made so that it can be acceptable to all parties.”

In Amman, Jordan, Iran’s ambassador to that country accused Israel on Sunday of being behind international concerns about Tehran’s nuclear program and threatened Israel with a “painful” response if it attacked Iranian nuclear installations.