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NUKEWARS
US senators urge Obama to toughen Iran sanctions
by Staff Writers
Washington, District Of Columbia (AFP) Aug 05, 2013


US, Azerbaijani defense chiefs discuss Iran
Washington, District Of Columbia (AFP) Aug 05, 2013 - US defense chief Chuck Hagel, meeting with his counterpart from Azerbaijan, said Monday it was imperative Iran quickly resolve concerns about its nuclear program.

Azerbaijan, which borders Iran, has friendly links with Tehran's arch-foe Israel. In March, it denied allegations it had granted the Jewish state access to its air bases, which could assist in potential strikes against Iran.

Among other issues, Hagel and Defense Minister Safar Abiyev "discussed the regional situation," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in a statement.

"Secretary Hagel raised the recent inauguration of Iranian President Hassan Rowhani and reiterated that it is imperative that Iran take quick steps to resolve the international community's deep concerns over its nuclear program," he added.

The West is hoping Rowhani will take a more constructive approach in long-running talks on Tehran's controversial atomic drive, which despite Iranian denials is suspected by world powers of having military objectives.

On July 14, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Iran was moving "closer and closer" to building a nuclear weapon and that Israel may have to take unilateral action to stop it.

An article in Foreign Policy magazine in March, citing anonymous senior US diplomats and military intelligence officers, suggested cooperation between Azerbaijan and Israel was "heightening the risks of an Israeli strike on Iran."

The article suggested access to Azerbaijani airfields near the Iranian border could give Israeli fighter planes logistical advantages in carrying out sorties against nuclear facilities in Iran, which the Jewish state suspects of developing atomic weapons

The Azerbaijani defense ministry said the claims were untrue.

Hagel also thanked Abiyev for "the valuable role Azerbaijan plays in providing ground, air and sea transit access for logistical support to Afghanistan," Little said.

Seventy-six US senators have urged President Barack Obama to impose tougher sanctions on Iran, saying Washington must stress its military option even as new President Hassan Rowhani urges dialogue.

"Mr. President, we urge you to bring a renewed sense of urgency to the process," said the letter, publicized Monday by authors Robert Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

"We need to understand quickly whether Tehran is at last ready to negotiate seriously" on its nuclear program, it said.

Another 74 senators signed the letter, which was sent to the White House on Friday, two days before Rowhani was sworn in in Tehran.

The reputed moderate once served as Iran's nuclear negotiator, and the West is hoping that he will take a more constructive approach in long-running talks on Tehran's controversial nuclear drive.

Despite Iranian denials, the West is convinced Tehran is pursuing a nuclear bomb.

"Iran has used negotiations in the past to stall for time, and in any event, (supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei is the ultimate decision-maker for Iran's nuclear program," the senators wrote to Obama.

"Iran needs to understand that the time for diplomacy is nearing its end. We implore you to demand immediate serious moves on Iran's part."

The White House said Sunday that Iran will find the United States a "willing partner" if Rowhani is prepared for serious nuclear talks.

Last week shortly before Congress went on summer break, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved harsh new sanctions aimed at drastically reducing Iran's oil exports by ending purchasing exemptions to countries like China and Japan.

The recess window is being seen as a pivotal period for both the White House and Iran.

A Senate official told AFP that after the August recess the Senate Banking Committee aims to introduce legislation on further sanctions against the Islamic republic.

"Our nation must toughen sanctions and reinforce the credibility of our option to use military force," the senators wrote.

"We must be prepared to act, and Iran must see that we are prepared."

Rowhani inherits a turbulent nation that is struggling economically, largely due to crippling sanctions already on the books.

But he insisted Sunday that "if you want a proper answer, do not speak with Iran with the language of sanctions but with the language of respect."

EU calls for 'rapid progress' on Iran nuclear issue
Brussels (AFP) Aug 05, 2013 - The European Union urged Iran's new president Monday to make "rapid progress" towards resolving concerns over the country's disputed nuclear programme after he struck an apparently more conciliatory stance.

The West is hoping that President Hassan Rowhani will take a more constructive approach in the long-running talks on Tehran's nuclear drive, which despite Iranian denials is suspected by world powers of having military objectives.

On Sunday, he repeated his campaign promise to help Iranians who are struggling under the weight of US and EU economic sanctions and called for "mutual respect" with the West, striking a sharply different tone from his predecessor.

"We take note of the new President's words," said Michael Mann, spokesman for EU foreign affairs head Catherine Ashton, who has led talks with Tehran on the nuclear dispute.

"We hope that the new Iranian government will be prepared to make rapid progress towards addressing international concerns about its nuclear programme and engage constructively on the (P5+1) proposal for confidence-building," Mann said.

Western powers believe the Iranian nuclear programme is being used to develop an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists it is for peaceful purposes.

In his inaugural speech Sunday, the new president said Iranians were under "a lot of economic pressure" because of tough US and EU sanctions over Iran's refusal to stop uranium enrichment.

"The only path to interact with Iran is through negotiations on equal grounds, reciprocal trust-building, mutual respect and reducing hostilities," he said.

"If you want a proper answer, do not speak with Iran with the language of sanctions but with the language of respect," Rowhani added.

The White House said Iran would find the United States a "willing partner" if Rowhani was serious.

Ashton is lead negotiator with Iran for the P5+1 group, which is made up of the five permanent UN Security Council members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany.

She met Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Istanbul in May for talks he described as "long and useful" after fruitless discussions the previous month in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

US and EU sanctions have crippled Iran's once lucrative oil sector, cut its access to global banking and contributed to soaring inflation and a shrinking economy.

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