German Position regarding the conflict surrounding
Iran's nuclear program
GERMAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Updated September 11, 2007
What are the demands of the international community?
Is Iran aiming to produce nuclear weapons? Concern about the Iranian nuclear programme is occupying the international community. It is one of the most urgent tasks for German foreign policy.
Iran is keeping the international community in the dark about important aspects of its nuclear programme. Most importantly, there is reason to doubt that it really serves peaceful purposes. The United Nations Security Council has therefore placed Iran under a legal obligation to suspend its uranium enrichment activities until the international community's lost confidence in the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme can be restored. The uranium enrichment is problematic because in principle it could also be used to produce weapons-grade uranium.
The official Iranian line is that its nuclear programme serves to supplement the country's energy supply with nuclear power. The foundation for this was laid as early as the late 1950s. Currently there are no nuclear power stations in the network – there are only research reactors. A nuclear power station is under construction in Bushehr. Official Iranian sources maintain that they intend to use the technology only for peaceful purposes and not to produce nuclear weapons.What are the demands of the international community?Iran has ratified the Non-Proliferation Treaty. By so doing, the country has committed itself to refrain from manufacturing or otherwise acquiring nuclear weapons and to cooperate with the IAEA on nuclear issues. Consequently, the IAEA currently conducts regular inspections of the Iranian nuclear programme in accordance with the Safeguards Agreement.However, in 2002 it emerged that Iran has nuclear plants which it had kept secret from the IAEA for almost two decades. By so doing, Iran grossly violated its international obligations. To this day Iran has been unable to dispel the resulting massive questions and doubts about the nature of its nuclear programme.
What does the Non-Proliferation Treaty say?
Every country has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes – military use is the sole preserve of the five nuclear powers. The IAEA monitors the nuclear programmes of these countries so that all parties can be sure that the conditions are observed. Since it came to light that Iran pursued a clandestine nuclear programme for 18 years, the IAEA has been attempting to clarify the questions and doubts arising from this discovery within the context of its monitoring responsibilities. However, for several years Iran has been refusing to comply with the IAEA's demands for cooperation and transparency.
Alongside the IAEA's efforts, the German, French and British foreign ministers (the E3) embarked on a negotiation process with Iran and called upon it to cease its uranium enrichment activities until confidence in the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme had been restored. Iran is still refusing to comply with this demand.As neither its own efforts nor those of the E3 achieved any significant progress, the IAEA submitted the case to the United Nations Security Council in February 2006. At the same time the IAEA issued a resolution calling upon Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities pending the restoration of lost confidence.
Decisions of the United Nations Security Council
The UN Security Council took action, initially in the form of a declaration by the President in March 2006, and subsequently by formulating three resolutions (August 2006, No. 1696; December 2006, No. 1737; March 2007, No. 1747). These resolutions address the IAEA's demands, particularly the calls to suspend enrichment, and make them binding in international law. The Security Council also decided to impose internationally binding sanctions:
Iran should be urged to cooperate fully with the IAEA and to restore the lost confidence of the international community. The Security Council therefore bans the supply of any goods and technologies which contribute to the controversial nuclear programme. Accounts held abroad by individuals or entities involved in the programme shall be frozen. Transfer of know-how shall also be prohibited. Additional measures included inter alia a ban on all weapons exports from Iran, a call for vigilance in connection with weapons sales to Iran as well as a call to grant no more state loans to the Iranian Government (except for humanitarian and development purposes). The EU also agreed not to supply any weapons to Iran.
Negotiation offers from the international community
Even after handing over the case to the UN Security Council, the E3 continued its efforts. The format was expanded to encompass the E3/EU+3, and in June 2006 the German, French and British foreign ministers together with the High Representative for the CFSP, Solana, and their colleagues from the United States, Russia and China, offered Iran a comprehensive cooperation package, which contained the prospect of extensive economic, political and nuclear cooperation in return for the suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment activities.
This was to form the basis for negotiations. Iran responded formally to this offer, but continued to reject its key demand – the suspension of enrichment activities.
Iran is currently holding talks with the IAEA. Both sides have reached an agreement and set a timetable for clarifying the unresolved issues in connection with Iran's past nuclear programme. The deciding factor from a German perspective is whether the Iranian leadership cooperates fully and unreservedly with the IAEA.
Dual approach
Germany, together with its international partners, is pursuing a strategy with a dual approach.
- First, talks with the Iranian leadership are being used to assess whether Iran is prepared to return to the negotiating table, on condition of compliance with the calls to suspend enrichment.
- Second, the United Nations Security Council is focusing on the dossier to ensure that Iran complies with the demands that are binding under international law.
Following the most recent Security Council resolution, therefore, the E3/EU+3 foreign ministers issued a statement reaffirming their willingness to negotiate with Iran. At the same time they expressed the hope that Iran would take this signal seriously and embark on the road to negotiations.