Mottaki visits India; Obama: If Iran fails to take advantage of opportunities like uranium enrichment deal, it was "making itself less secure"; IAEA seeks "more clarification" about Qom uranium enrichment facility; Kuwaiti PM visits Tehran
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    • The visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna emphasized the importance of the pipeline project and reiterated their determination to sort out any issues relating to it. Both leaders also reviewed cooperation on transportation issues, North-South corridor, technical and engineering services and energy. Mottaki and Krishna also urged that the Goldstone report on Gaza must be pursued. Mr. Mottaki also met with PM Manmohan Singh and Vice President Hamid Ansari during his two-day visit.1

    President Obama stated that the US and its partners were discussing "a package of potential steps" they could take if Iran rejects the uranium enrichment deal agreed in Geneva. Obama added that Iran needed to understand that if it failed to take advantage of such opportunities, it was "making itself less secure." Tehran had earlier indicated it would not accept the offer to have its uranium enriched abroad in return for nuclear fuel.

    The IAEA meanwhile stated that it needed "more clarification" about the uranium enrichment facility near Qom. The IAEA in a report pointed out that the existence of the plant raised concerns about other possible secret sites.2 Iran’s Envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asqar Soltanieh on his part announced that UN inspectors will visit the Fordo (Qom) facility again. Four UN inspectors had first visited the site on October 25. Soltanieh added that the latest report by the IAEA proves that the media hype and propaganda surrounding the Fordo plant were baseless.3

    Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser al-Mohammad al-Sabah visited Tehran during the week. This was the first visit by an Arab Gulf US ally to Tehran in more than 30 years. The two countries pledged to boost economic cooperation, among other cooperative measures. Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi urged cooperation “in connection to the resolution of the continental shelf issue” and stated that Iran was prepared to expand cooperation in all fields.4

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