New Assessment Calls for Security Council Action on Iran

A new assessment of the most recent International Atomic Energy Agency's report on Iran released this week by the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University in Israel concludes that the two main areas for concern in the report are the "current uranium enrichment activities" and "possible military dimensions" of Iran's nuclear development program. The assessment argues that it is now up to the United Nations Security Council to decide how things will go.

The assessment states there are "three main possible future directions: strong economic and diplomatic sanctions to force Iran into serious negotiations; military action; or a nuclear Iran. The Council can and should act if it does not want the situation to further deteriorate." It recommends that the Security Council "adopt a threefold program: a) prohibit sale of any goods to Iran with the exception of food and medical supplies b) prohibit external travel of Iranian residents by not issuing entry visas to UN member states except for humanitarian or health reasons or for negotiating purposes, and c) start, with the appointment of a sub-committee or other agreed negotiators, serious ongoing negotiations with Iran on the complete cessation of nuclear fuel activities in Iran and on vital mutual security issues, including security guarantees to Iran, abandonment of Iranian assistance to terror organizations, and the establishment of normal relations with all nations."

The assessment concludes, "If the Security Council or major political blocs do not quickly agree on the strong sanctions-negotiations route, the possibility of a military action will become more realistic. If that does not happen, there will be no way to avoid the least desirable option – a nuclear weapons Iran"