Iran and the west: confrontation or accommodation? Mahmoud Ghafouri provides an Iranian perspective on the issue of Iran's nuclear programme.

• Author: Ghafouri, Mahmoud
• Position: COMMENT

Iran's nuclear programmes and activities are of great concern to the United States and European Union, on the one hand, and the Middle East countries, on the other, though for different reasons. The United States wants to contain and undermine Iran, with virtually no economic or political relations of any sort since the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The European Union has broad economic relations with Iran; these replaced those with the United States after the Iranian Revolution. The Middle East, and particularly the Persian Gulf states, have security and political interests since Iran is a regional power with a population of 70 million, a territory of 1.65 million square kilometres and a world ranking of second in oil and gas reserves. (1) Their concern is that Iran may gain the ability to produce nuclear weapons, although Iran has emphasised time and again its interest in peaceful utilisation of atomic energy, that is, for generating electricity and scientific purposes.

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To understand the problem, it is necessary to explain two types of nuclear reactors for generating electricity: light water reactors, which require enriched uranium (3-4 per cent), and heavy water reactors, which do not. If the technology is available to enrich uranium to 3-4 per cent, it is also available to enrich to weapon grade. On the other hand, heavy water reactors are also very effective producers of plutonium, which can also be used to produce nuclear weapons. (2)

Suspicions are heightened by Iran's actions. If it has peaceful intentions, why then did it not accept the European Union package which, among other things, proposed that Iran receive enriched uranium from either the West or Russia and return the waste after the fuel is consumed?

Iran's concern is that due to many differences with the West over issues ranging from human rights and accusations of involving itself in terrorist activities to regional and strategic matters, or any other reasons, the delivery of enriched uranium might be stopped in future. So far as Russia is concerned, historical reasons date back to the Tsarist and Soviet policies of 19th and 20th centuries. Iran was invaded by Russia four times, twice in the early 19th century, in 1920 and during the Second World War. (3) Today Iran feels Russia is not a reliable partner because, even after a decade, it has not completed the Bushehr nuclear reactor. (4) Seemingly, Russia does not want to lose either side by leaning too...