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Iran Continues its Nuclear Enrichment Program

As the United Nations Security Council mulls possible punitive steps against Teheran for failing to meet an August deadline to halt its nuclear enrichment program, diplomats have revealed that Iran is expanding its program to a second enrichment facility. After months of talks between the Iranian government and UN officials, where Teheran was offered attractive incentive packages in exchange for putting an end to its nuclear program, the Security Council is finally considering the first in a series of sanctions against the country.

In February of this year, Iran produced a small batch of low-enriched uranium that is suitable for nuclear fuel but not weapons. Iran continues to insist that it has a right to pursue nuclear technology and that it will be used for energy purposes only since ?Iran is a peaceful country?. Many in the western world have doubted this claim, especially as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly calls for the destruction of the State of Israel and threatens to wipe it off the map ? hardly the words of a man seeking peace.

The United States, Britain and France have drafted a text that would impose limiting sanctions on Teheran, however, the words in the text might need to be changed and possibly softened if these Western allies want China and Russia to sign. The latter two have veto power in the Security Council and might not want to risk economic and strategic links with Iran by backing severe sanctions.