Excerpts from previous status reports, by subject
Removed on September 25, 2009
- The P5+1 to meet with Iran on October 1
- Qum enrichment plant disclosed ahead of talks
- Iran tests solid fuel Sejil-2
The P5+1 to meet with Iran on October 1
U.S. President Barack Obama surprised almost everyone when he accepted Iran’s offer to begin face-to-face negotiations this month. Initially, U.S. officials had reacted skeptically to Iran’s offer, a judgment that European diplomats were quick to second. Reversing course, U.S. officials now claim that the objective of negotiation is to “to see whether Iran is prepared to engage;” they have promised not be drawn into endless discussion. Iran’s vague offer, however, seems designed to do just that. It did not mention Iran’s nuclear program, which Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said will never be the subject of negotiations, and did not pledge Iran to do anything in particular. P5+1 countries, which include the Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, have set October 1 as the date for talks.
Qum enrichment plant disclosed ahead of talks
Revelations about Iran’s previously undisclosed uranium enrichment plant, near the city of Qum, have injected additional urgency into the October 1. This plant is further proof -- if more were needed -- that Iran is neither cooperating fully with nuclear inspectors nor adhering to a U.N. requirement that it suspend all enrichment work. The plant also provides what may be the first peek at a secret nuclear archipelago stretching across the country. The plant's small size suggests that it may be one of many -- part of a larger, more complex plan involving a number of undeclared nuclear sites. Iran claims to be under no obligation to let inspectors into the plant until 180 days before nuclear material is introduced -- a claim denied by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The prospect of direct talks with Iran on October 1 has already raised some issues. The first is whether sitting down with Iranian officials will boost the prestige of those in power at the expense of the opposition. The second is whether the talks mean that additional sanctions against Iran will be further postponed (which seems likely). If so, it is bound to increase the fear that Iran is merely stalling for time, in order to enrich more uranium before it faces additional punishment.
Iran tests solid fuel Sejil-2
Iran test-fired the solid-fueled Sejil-2 missile in May 2009, which has an estimated range of at least 1,200 miles. While the missile appears to have the same size, range and propellant as the Sejil-1, tested in November 2008, Iran’s defense minister claimed that the Sejil-2 was fitted with an improved navigation and guidance system. This test confirms Iran’s progress in its mastery of staging, which will allow Iran to extend the range of its missiles, and in Iran’s use of solid fuel, which makes missiles easier to maintain, to store, and to launch quickly.