U.S. expects strong UN reaction to latest IAEA report on Iran

[AGENDA21]

WASHINGTON, April 27 (KUNA) -- The United States expects a "very strong and firm" reaction by the UN Security Council following the release of the latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Iran, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said on Thursday.

The report on the Iranian nuclear program, scheduled for release on Friday by IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, will "inform" discussions in Paris on Tuesday among political directors of the Permanent 5 members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, Ereli said during a department briefing.

Those discussion will focus on next steps to be taken toward Iran, with the goal of UN Security Council action, Ereli said.

"I think there is clearly a commonly held view that Iran's program is of concern, and a commonly shared goal of achieving a suspension of Iran's enrichment program and returning to negotiation," he said. "That is a broad, joint approach." "In response to Iranian inaction and confrontation, we are going to need to maintain close consultation and closed ranks in how we move forward step by step, and that is in the realm of tactics," Ereli said. "But in the realm of strategic objectives, we are, I would say, all one." Ereli said he expects "a very strong and firm reaction" to the ElBaradei report "because it is quite evident to us that Iran has failed to take the steps called for in the March 29th UN Security Council presidential statement, and that in response, we need to go beyond a presidential statement." "We need to take meaningful action in the Security Council," he said, "and that is our intention, and that will be what we are working with our partners on doing." The conviction and determination of the international community is growing stronger and stronger with every misstep and provocation that Iran presents, Ereli said. Iranian officials this week have warned that Iran would strike U.S. targets around the world if it is attacked militarily by the United States. Iranian officials also have threatened to cut oil production, export nuclear technology, bar international nuclear inspectors, make their nuclear program entirely secret and withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

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