Security
Iran: Tensions between US and Russia behind nuclear push, says expert
Tehran, 29 August (AKI) - Iran's decision to step up its nuclear programme was a bid to exploit the current tensions between the US and Russia, a leading Middle East expert said on Friday.
Sami Al-Faraj, director of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies, expressed concern in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI), after an announcement by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar.
"Iran is certainly taking advantage of the crisis in relations between Moscow and Washington in order to develop its nuclear technology," he told AKI.
Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar said Friday that Iran has nearly 4,000 working centrifuges at its nuclear facility at Natanz and another 3,000 were being installed.
Attar's comments were made on Iranian state television and reported by the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.
The 4,000 figure is in line with United Nations estimates but lower than the 5,000 cited last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Faraj said the Russians and the Iranians may have reached a political accord during the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Tashkent in Uzbekistan on Thursday.
"Russia has sought the political support of countries in the organisation, among them China, but received a cool response. Iran could work to convince countries that are members of the SCO, like Kazakhstan and Kirghizistan, to support the Russian position in Georgia.
"In exchange, Tehran would have strong political support for its nuclear programme."
At the same time however, he warned that a possible intensification of Iran's nuclear programme could become "a big problem for the international community" because it comes at a time of great tension in the Middle East.
Referring to the UN Security Council's anti-Iran resolutions, Attar said that the sanctions were futile and ineffective.
"Had westerners become certain that the resolutions would bring us down to our knees, they would have definitely intensified them (the sanctions)," he said.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last month Iran had more than 5,000 centrifuges.
But a diplomat close to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, which routinely checks Iranian nuclear sites, said Ahmadinejad appeared to have overstated the number by at least 1,000.
Sami Al-Faraj, director of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies, expressed concern in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI), after an announcement by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar.
"Iran is certainly taking advantage of the crisis in relations between Moscow and Washington in order to develop its nuclear technology," he told AKI.
Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar said Friday that Iran has nearly 4,000 working centrifuges at its nuclear facility at Natanz and another 3,000 were being installed.
Attar's comments were made on Iranian state television and reported by the official Iranian news agency, IRNA.
The 4,000 figure is in line with United Nations estimates but lower than the 5,000 cited last month by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Faraj said the Russians and the Iranians may have reached a political accord during the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization held in Tashkent in Uzbekistan on Thursday.
"Russia has sought the political support of countries in the organisation, among them China, but received a cool response. Iran could work to convince countries that are members of the SCO, like Kazakhstan and Kirghizistan, to support the Russian position in Georgia.
"In exchange, Tehran would have strong political support for its nuclear programme."
At the same time however, he warned that a possible intensification of Iran's nuclear programme could become "a big problem for the international community" because it comes at a time of great tension in the Middle East.
Referring to the UN Security Council's anti-Iran resolutions, Attar said that the sanctions were futile and ineffective.
"Had westerners become certain that the resolutions would bring us down to our knees, they would have definitely intensified them (the sanctions)," he said.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last month Iran had more than 5,000 centrifuges.
But a diplomat close to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, which routinely checks Iranian nuclear sites, said Ahmadinejad appeared to have overstated the number by at least 1,000.
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