Iran submitted a written statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN unclear watchdog, on 14 October stating that it would fully suspend its uranium enrichment activities. Some diplomats believed that Iran once again made an on-time compromise at a crucial moment when IAEA was about to mull over Iran's nuclear issue at the convention, a major concession made under the European Union's (EU) "The Carrot and The Stick" policy.  

Iran submitted the written statement of signing the additional protocol to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon (NPT on) to IAEA on 10 Nov 2003, ten day prior to the IAEA's convocation of the meeting. Likewise, Iran submitted its nuclear program document of more than 1,000 pages to IAEA on 21 May this year, 24 days prior to the IAEA's mull over its nuclear issue. This time, the council will convene on 25 November in a bid to peacefully solve Iran's nuclear issue. Iran made the concession before the watchdog's meeting in order to avoid the passive position.

The IAEA has passed many resolutions with an aim to solve Iran's nuclear issue since June of the previous year. However, the IAEA hasn't so far found any evidence that could prove Iran was developing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Iran desperately defended its legal right for civil use of nuclear energy. By accusing Iran of developing nuclear weapon secretly, the US persuaded the IAEA to refer Iran's nuclear issue to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions. Proceeding from the consideration of its own interest, the EU hoped that Iran would take the initiative in giving up its nuclear program so as to dispel the US's misgivings. It was said that the EU would turn to support the US if Iran rejected EU's proposals. But Iran was afraid that the supply of its nuclear power plant would fall into the hands of others if it accepted EU's proposals. Iran's current move submitting an written statement to the IAEA stating that it would fully suspend its uranium enrichment activities should be taken as a major concession under the EU's pressure, "The Carrot and The Stick" policy.

Some diplomats noted that Iran was apparently trying to gain the initiative as the international community was making great effort to peacefully solve the Iran's nuclear issue. But the final solution was so far still in the air mainly due to the US's long-time hostile policies toward Iran and the IAEA gradually became a diplomatic battlefield for Iran and the US. The trace of highly enriched uranium and Iran's acts of importing, producing and using the second generation of enriched uranium separator detected by the IAEA one after another well justified the US and other western countries to charge against Iran with developing nuclear weapons. Facing a series of unfavorable resolutions put forward by the IAEA, Iran attempted to win sympathy from the IAEA members by making concession.

Iran did not want to make big and internationalize its nuclear issue. The IAEA approved a resolution on 18 September demanding that Iran suspend all activities related to uranium enrichment before the nuclear watchdog's meeting on 25 November. The Vienna-based diplomats also noted that it was an ultimatum for Iran to stop all its nuclear programs. In view of this, the IAEA's meeting to be held on 25 will be unusual. All the IAEA members know clearly that the UN sanction against Iran would benefit nobody but the US and a small number of western countries. Consequently, the IAEA has not made any reactions toward Iran's written statement to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. According to the analysts, Mohamed M. El Baradei, general director of the IAEA, who has been expecting the result of Iran's negotiation with the European Trinity of France, Germany and Britain, would give high praise to Iran's compromise and in the meanwhile, Iran's on-time compromise has also deeply dampened the US's firm stand.

(People's Daily November 18, 2004)