U.S. Urges IAEA to Deny Iran Reactor Aid

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, shakes hands with an unidentified North Korean official during meeting with speaker of North Korea's parliament, Che Tai Bek, center, in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2006. An unidentified translator is in right.(AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian) (Hasan Sarbakhshian - AP)

In contrast, Russia and China _ the key blockers of tough U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran backed by the U.S. and some European allies _ suggested they had no objections to IAEA help on Arak, said the diplomat. Cuba went the furthest, demanding that the board approve the Arak project, she said.

Normally, the United States is at the forefront in demanding tough action against Tehran for defying U.N. Security Council demands that it freeze uranium enrichment.

But with council agreement on sanctions bogged down because of Russian and Chinese efforts to block severe punishment, diplomats said the Americans took a back seat at the Vienna meeting. Instead, France took the lead on demands that all eight Iranian projects be reviewed and possibly refused.

In Tehran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad _ whose country sees the United States and Israel as its greatest enemies _ was cited on the Web site of Iran's Broadcasting Company as saying the Islamic republic would succeed in developing a full nuclear program, despite "pressure by the U.S. and Israel."

Even nonaligned nations traditionally supportive of Iran were likely to approve some form of denying Iran help for Arak, but the other seven projects were less controversial.

One asks for help in developing nuclear capabilities for medical use. Another seeks legal aid for the Russian-built Bushehr reactor, which even the Americans have accepted as not posing a threat to nuclear proliferation. And the five others ask for assistance in administrative or safety aspects of nuclear power, according to a list made available to the AP.

Denying Iran help with Arak _ where it is seeking agency assistance to make sure the reactor is environmentally safe _ would do little to slow construction of that facility or affect Tehran's other potential avenue to weapons production _ uranium enrichment. Still, it would maintain at least symbolic pressure even amid the Security Council deadlock.

Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iran's chief delegate to the IAEA, said his country's request would benefit the international community by increasing outside involvement in Arak.

"By adopting this project, the agency's presence ... will be much more," he said.