China-Iran tango threatens US leverage

[bemildred]

BEIJING - After a week of intense bargaining, Iran has again agreed to suspend its uranium enrichment program to avert United Nations sanctions, further undermining US-led international efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear capabilities. And with the emergence of an ever-stronger partnership between China and Iran, Washington's woes are far from over.

This was clearly evident when Seyed Hossein Mussavian, Iran's envoy to the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited the Chinese capital on the eve of an IAEA board meeting last week to review an investigation of suspect Iranian activities.

The United States contends that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons - an accusation that Tehran denies, insisting its nuclear ambitions are for peaceful purposes.

According to Mussavian, Chinese Foreign Ministry officials told him that Beijing wants to see Iran's nuclear program handled by the Vienna-based IAEA. "They are against referral of the Iranian issue to the Security Council," he told news agencies. Iran could face sanctions if the investigation is turned over to the UN.

Asia Times