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Iran threatens NPT pullout

Atul Aneja

In case of further pressure

DUBAI: Iran has signalled that it could quit the international nuclear treaty in case it was pressured further to stop its uranium enrichment programme.

In a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Parliament has said withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) could be on the table in case "the U.N. Secretary-General and other members of the U.N. Security Council fail in their crucial responsibility to resolve differences peacefully."

Analysts say the letter has been timed to influence the debate within the Security Council on ways to stop the enrichment programme.

The Council is so far divided, with Russia and China opposing a proposed draft that envisions the possible imposition of sanctions or military action against Iran to ensure compliance.

The U.S., Britain and France have sponsored the draft. The Iranian lawmakers said they could "review Article 10 of the NPT."

This article allows signatories to withdraw from the treaty on grounds that continuation would jeopardise their national interests.

The country seeking withdrawal must cite details of the exceptional circumstances that have forced it to make the decision and must give a three-month notice to fellow signatories.

Parliament said it could ask the Government to retract its signatures to the Additional Protocol to the NPT. The Additional Protocol allows the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to carry out surprise inspection of nuclear sites, which they suspect, are part of an atomic weapons programme. Iran has halted inspections after the IAEA reported its case to the Security Council in January.

Reinforcing Iran's tough stand, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Teheran could not be forced to suspend its enrichment programme. He warned, "Intervention by the Security Council in this issue is completely illegal". "Intervention by the U.N. Security Council would change the path of cooperation to confrontation. We recommend they do not do this."

Growing tensions

The growing tensions between the U.S. and Iran is generating anxiety among Teheran's Gulf neighbours.

At a daylong summit on Saturday in Riyadh, the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries urged Iran to step up efforts to defuse the crisis. "We appreciate Iran's efforts to reassure the region over its programme," United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan told reporters after the summit.

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