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Iran's Nuclear programme
 

Iran’s nuclear ambitions pose a threat to its neighbours, Israel and the wider world. Some countries do not yet sufficiently realize that Iranian claims that its nuclear programme is only intended for peaceful uses are not credible. Others feel that the threat of massive retaliation, if Iran makes a nuclear attack, is sufficiently prohibitive not to press Iran to the wall on this issue.

However, the latter ignore the danger that Iran might build a small-scale nuclear instrument and pass it on to a terrorist organization.

Iran continues to defy key demands of the IAEA and the UN Security Council. Three rounds of sanctions have already been imposed on Iran by the UN, including: travel bans on Iranian officials; the freezing of foreign assets of Iranian companies and officials; and bans on the sale of dual-use items to Iran. A recent UN resolution also urges governments to withdraw financial backing from firms trading with Iran, inspect cargo going into and out of the country, and monitor the activities of two Iranian banks.

WJC Policy

  • Iran cannot be permitted to possess nuclear weaponry.

  • Iran must comply fully with the UN Security Council and the IAEA.
  • Iran must immediately and completely stop all nuclear enrichment and reprocessing activities and heavy water-related projects until it is conclusively proven that it is only intended for civilian power generation purposes.

  • The sanctions regime needs to be strengthened until it is effective.

  • If Iran does not meet the demands of the UN Security Council and the IAEA the sanctions regime should be gradually expanded to also include key Iranian industries such as oil and natural gas. (including obstructing Iran’s capacity to import refined oil products.)

  • The international community needs to be united to confront the Iranian threat.

  • More drastic other action against Iranian nuclear installations should only be considered as a last resort if all diplomatic avenues have been exhausted and if the sanctions regime fails to deliver any tangible results.


Iran as a sponsor of terrorism

Iran is a leading sponsor of terrorism, via radical Islamist groups in other countries. The Iranian regime is providing support to Hamas and Hezbollah, amongst others. Hamas and Hezbollah pose a very real and active threat to Israel and a danger to the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples.

Iran was directly involved in the planning of the terrorist attacks against the Israeli embassy and the AMIA centre in Buenos Aires in 1992 & 1994. It refuses to cooperate with Interpol, which has issued ‘Red Alert’ arrest warrants against several Iranian citizens.

WJC Policy

  • International organisations and governments must take measures against the proliferation of weapons and funds from Iran to Hamas and Hezbollah.

  • Links between Iran and radical terrorist groups need to be exposed and publicised.

  • Those involved in the promotion of such terrorist activity should be prosecuted and brought to justice.


Iran and its international relations

Almost all countries – the USA and Israel being the exceptions – have diplomatic relations with Iran. Many European countries also have sizeable business interests in Iran, notably in the oil and gas sectors. Some of the energy companies doing business in Iran are state-owned.

WJC Policy

  • Governments should not encourage or support companies seeking new business contracts in Iran, above all not with state-owned Iranian companies.

  • Unless key industries such as oil and gas are affected, UN sanctions are unlikely to be effective.

  • Governments should not help companies in their respective countries to clinch deals with Iranian firms.
  • Existing contracts with Iran should be suspended until the regime in Tehran accepts all UN demands on its nuclear program.
  • Business deals with Iran which contravene the spirit or letter of the UN sanctions regime need to be exposed.


Iran and Holocaust denial

Iran’s current leaders, above all president Ahmadinejad, have repeatedly questioned the dimension of the Holocaust, or used the Shoah to criticize Israel. In December 2005, Iran’s Foreign Ministry hosted a conference of Holocaust deniers. Iran’s regime uses the Holocaust as a political weapon.

Iran propagates the denial of the Holocaust as a means to delegitimize and demonize Israel. Denial of the Holocaust denigrates the memory of those who died and shows the true state of mind of Iran’s leadership.

WJC Policy

  • Holocaust denial or trivialisation is repugnant; it needs to be condemned and discredited wherever possible.
 
Iran Update is a regular publication prepared for the member communities, affiliates and organizations of the WJC.


Latest News
Iran wants its own satellite system and more nuclear plants - 20 August 2008
Condoleeza Rice threatens new sanctions against Iran - 07 August 2008
Iran fails to give concrete assurances on nuclear program - 06 August 2008
New round of sanctions likely as Iran misses deadline - 04 August 2008




 
Essays
Iran Must be Stopped - Iran continues to make bold statements about increasing the number of centrifuges and accelerating uranium enrichment in direct violation of the sanctions of the United States and the UN Security Council.
 
Divestment: An Important Foreign Policy Tool - As Iran continues to make rapid advancements on all aspects of its quest to obtain nuclear capability—the missiles, the uranium enrichment—the only area where experts seem to disagree is the timetable for Iran to achieve its goals.
 
A Game of Chess - President Bush visited Israel this past week, the highlight of a conference to celebrate Israel’s 60th anniversary which was attended by over two thousand leaders from all over the world, and a reaffirmation of the special relationship between the US and Israel.
 


 
 
     

 

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