Rice says Iran must be referred to Security Council

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice joined European powers on Thursday and said Iran must be
referred to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear plans.

Rice also said the United States wanted an emergency
meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA,
board of governors to discuss Iran’s defiant resumption of
uranium enrichment work.

“That meeting would be to report Iran’s noncompliance with
its safeguards’ obligations to the U.N. Security Council,” Rice
told a news conference.

Earlier, France, Germany and Britain, the three European
partners negotiating with Iran, said talks with Tehran had
reached an impasse and they also agreed it should be sent to
the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions.

The so-called EU3 and the United States believe Iran is
developing nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic
energy program. Iran denies the charge, insisting its nuclear
ambitions are limited to peaceful power generation.

Iran escalated its nuclear standoff with the West earlier
this week when it began removing U.N. seals on equipment used
to enrich uranium — a process of purifying it for use as fuel
in nuclear power plants or, when very highly enriched, in
bombs.

Rice said the removal of seals demonstrated that Iran had
chosen confrontation with the international community over
cooperation and negotiations.

“These provocative actions by the Iranian regime have
shattered the basis for negotiations,” she said.

EU3 officials are set to meet their counterparts from
China, Russia and the United States in London next week to
discuss how to deal with Iran’s disputed nuclear program.