US-Iran relations deteriorate

ABC:

AM - Wednesday, 10 August , 2005 08:20:00 Reporter: Leigh Sales

TONY EASTLEY: Relations between Iran and the United States are deteriorating on two levels.

The US says it's deeply suspicious that Iran has resumed work at its main nuclear facility and is secretly working on a weapons program. Iran has responded angrily to the US, saying it's in no position to lecture others about using nuclear weapons.

At the same time, the Pentagon says it has unambiguous evidence that conventional Iranian weapons are finding their way to insurgents in Iraq.

North America Correspondent Leigh Sales reports.

LEIGH SALES: Iran's decision to resume work, unsupervised, at its main nuclear facility has alarmed the world.

The UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, is meeting to consider recommending sanctions on Iran, although the IAEA head, Mohammed El Baradei, hopes talks can defuse the situation.

MOHAMMED EL BARADEI: I would hope that this is simply a hiccup in the process and not a permanent rupture. We have made very good progress in the last couple of years with regard to clarifying Iran's past nuclear activities and I will report to the board next month again on progress made on this issue.

We have also, the international community, made good progress in the effort to create confidence in the relationship between Iran and the international community.

LEIGH SALES: Iran says it will return to international discussions, but only if it can offer a new set of proposals.

While the US is encouraged Iran's willing to talk, President George W. Bush is sceptical of the nation he once famously called part of an "axis of evil".

GEORGE BUSH: We've condemned strongly Iranians' attempt to develop any kind of program that would allow them to enrich uranium to develop a weapon. In other words, the Iranians said they were in compliance with certain international rules, and yet, we found out they weren't in compliance with those rules, and so we're very deeply suspicious of their desires.

LEIGH SALES: Iran treats such comments from the United States with disdain.

Cyrus Nasseri is Iran's Ambassador to the IAEA, and he had sharp words for Washington.

CYRUS NASSERI: The United States is the sole nuclear weapons race which had the guts to drop a bomb, to kill and maim and turn into ashes millions in a split second. The United States is in no position whatsoever to tell anyone and to preach to anyone as to what they should or should not do in their nuclear program.

LEIGH SALES: The United States is irritated with Iran on another level.The Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, has confirmed insurgents in Iraq are fighting the coalition using Iranian weapons.

DONALD RUMSFELD: It is true that weapons clearly unambiguously from Iran have been found in Iraq. It's a problem for the Iraqi Government, it's a problem for the coalition forces, it's a problem for the international community. And ultimately, it's a problem for Iran.

LEIGH SALES: Mr Rumsfeld wouldn't say if the weapons are coming from the Iranian Government or other sources.

DONALD RUMSFELD: How can you know? You only know what you know. It's a big border, and it's notably unhelpful for the Iranians to be allowing weapons of those types to cross the border.

TONY EASTLEY: US Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, ending Leigh Sales' report from Washington.