Iran Defiant Over Nuclear Ambitions

As officials from the UN Security Council debated what action should be taken against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued his rhetoric and opposition to the West.

“Authorities are obliged to continue toward achieving advanced technology, including nuclear energy. The people and the government will resist any force or conspiracy" was the message delivered by the Ayatollah, as quoted by ABCnews.com. The same strongly-worded line was towed by the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a statement made during a visit to the province of Lorenstan, in Western Iran. “They know that they are not capable of causing the least harm to Iranian people,” spoke an increasingly hostile Ahmadinejad. “They will suffer more.”

Response to Iran’s increasingly un-cooperative tone has been mixed throughout the Western superpowers. The United States is looking to deliver swift and punishing sanctions against the Middle Eastern nation, though it could prove difficult. Since UN Security Council cooperation is seen as mandatory, and both Russia and China hold vetoes and do business with Iran, the likelihood of sanctions is very small.

The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been involved in these happenings since day 1, but has been barred from their inspections by Iranian officials. IAEA Director General, Mohamed ElBaradei, released a report Wednesday outlining where the IAEA stands on this front. As has been posted on the IAEA website, “What we need at this stage is cool headed approaches. We need people to lower the rhetoric. We need to continue to see how we can move forward.”

The major focus being brought forward is that a diplomatic solution needs to be pursued. The US has pursued their own rhetoric, with Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns trying to beef up support for a militaristic intervention. In fact, he has gone as far as saying the United States may seek to condemn Iran in the Security Council, and may include a Chapter 7 resolution, one which may be enforced with military intervention. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has downplayed this plan of action. As Canada.com reports, Lavrov was quoted on Russian state television as saying “We don't want to be the ones to remind (everyone) who was right and who was not in Iraq, although the answer is obvious.” With the deep divisions spelled out by these highly-conflicting points of view, the course of action to be taken against Iran will take some debate. The certain fact seems to be that there will be some form of action taken.

[Sources: ABCnews.com, IAEA, Canada.com ]