Iran's 'line in the sand:' U.K., U.S., France

by Mark Silva and updated

President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy today presented a united front in a stern demand for Iran to start complying with international nuclear regulation, with the French leader voicing a December deadline for compliance and a threat of new sanctions.

The three governments this week reported to the United Nations something which they apparently have long known - that Iran is building a previously undisclosed underground facility for the enrichment of uranium. Iran only this week reported this to the United Nations' nuclear energy monitoring agency.

"Iran's nuclear program is the most urgent proliferation challenge that the world faces today,'' Brown said at a news conference this morning in Pittsburgh, where leaders of the Group of 20 nations are meeting."The level of deception by the Iranian government... will shock and anger the whole international community and it will harden our resolve.

"The international community has no choice today but to draw a line in the sand,'' said Brown, joining Obama and Sarkozy in statements about Iran and delivering the sternest warning.

The U.S., France and Britain have presented evidence to the International Atomic Energy Agency that Iran has been building a new enrichment facility, Obama announced at the news conference.

"The existence of this facility underscores Iran's continuing unwillingness to meet its obligations'' under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Obama said. "Iran's decision to build yet another nuclear facility without notifying the IAEA represents a direct challenge... to the nuclear regime...''

"We were already in a very severe confidence crisis,'' Sarkozy said, through an interpreter. "We are now involved in a challenge'' to the international community.

"Everything must be put on the table now,'' Sarkozy said. "We cannot allow the Iranian leaders to gain time while the motor is running,'' he said, giving Iran until December to comply with IAEA rules. If not, he said, "sanctions will have to be taken.''

Russia weighed in with its own statement today, from the Kremlin: "Iran's construction of a uranium enrichment plant violates decisions of the United Nations Security Council.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency must investigate this site immediately, and Iran must cooperate with this investigation,'' the statement from Moscow read. "Russia will assist in this investigation by any available means. Russia remains committed to a dialogue with Iran on the nuclear issue, and urges Iran to provide proof of its commitment to a peaceful nuclear program by the October 1 meeting of the P5-plus-1.''

Although the intelligence agencies of the governments apparently have known of this development for several months, Iran reported the existence of the facility to the U.N.only this week.

""I can confirm that on 21 September Iran informed the IAEA in a letter that a new pilot fuel enrichment plant is under construction in the country," IAEA spokesman Marc Vidricaire said in a statement released today. "The IAEA has requested Iran to provide specific information and access to the facility as soon as possible."

"The treaty is clear,'' Obama said, noting that German Chancellor Angela Merkel supports the statement that the three leaders have made today. "International law is not an empty promise... Obligations must be kept... and treaties enforced.''

Iran has maintained that it is enriching uranium for a civilian power program, but the U.S., France and Britain say the size of the facility which Iran is building exceeds any such needs. The level of enrichment required for weapons-grade uranium is far higher than the level required to fuel a nuclear power-generating plant.

"Iran has a right to peaceful nuclear power that meets the energy needs of its people,'' Obama said. "Iran must be prepared to cooperate fully... and to demonstrate that it is committed to establishing its peaceful '' obligations. "