Living on the Edge: Iran and the Practice of Nuclear Hedging PDF
Preview Living on the Edge: Iran and the Practice of Nuclear Hedging
Wyn Bowen, Matthew Moran and Dina Esfandiary LIVING ON THE EDGE Iran and the Practice of Nuclear Hedging Living on the Edge Wyn Bowen • M atthew Moran • D ina E sfandiary Living on the Edge Iran and the Practice of Nuclear Hedging Wyn Bowen Matthew Moran King’s College London King’s College London United Kingdom United Kingdom Dina Esfandiary King’s College London United Kingdom ISBN 978-1-137-27308-6 ISBN 978-1-137-27309-3 (eBook) DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-27309-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2016936723 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2 016 The author(s) has/have asserted their right(s) to be identifi ed as the author(s) of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifi cally the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfi lms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or here- after developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specifi c statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the pub- lisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. Cover illustration: © Ted Grajeda / The Noun Project Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by Springer Nature The registered company is Macmillan Publishers Ltd. London To Emma with love To Éadaoin with love To mom, baba and Nilou with gratitude T I N IMELINE OF THE RANIAN UCLEAR C HALLENGE Timeline of the Iranian nuclear challenge 2002 29 January P resident George W. Bush refers to Iraq, Iran and North Korea as the ‘axis of evil’. 14 August A lireza Jafarzadeh of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), an Iranian opposition group, reveals the existence of two undeclared Iranian nuclear facilities: a uranium enrichment facility at Natanz and a heavy-water facility at Arak. 1 September Russian technicians begin construction of Iran’s fi rst nuclear reactor at Bushehr. 2003 22–23 The IAEA Director General, Mohammad ElBaradei, February visits Iran to hold talks on its nuclear programme. 6 May The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) describes Iran’s ‘exclusively peaceful’ nuclear programme to the United Nations (UN). 6 June T he IAEA Director General, Mohammad ElBaradei, submits a report to the IAEA Board of Governors stating that Iran has failed to meet its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement. vii viii TIMELINE OF THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR CHALLENGE Timeline of the Iranian nuclear challenge 26 August I AEA inspectors fi nd traces of highly enriched uranium (HEU) at Natanz. According to Iran, the HEU came from contaminated foreign centrifuge components. One month later, similar traces are found at a second site. 12 September The IAEA Board of Governors adopts a resolution calling on Iran to ‘provide accelerated cooperation’ with the Agency and reiterating the call for Iran to suspend enrichment-related activities. 6 October H assan Rouhani is appointed head of Iran’s nuclear negotiating team. 21 October I n a deal with France, Great Britain and Germany (EU3), Iran agrees to sign and ratify an Additional Protocol to its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA, and suspend uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities. 26 November A n IAEA Board report concludes that there is ‘no evidence’ of an Iranian nuclear weapons programme. The report also condemns Iran’s ‘past failures and breaches of its obligations to comply with the provisions of its Safeguards Agreement’. 29 November H assan Rouhani announces the ‘voluntary and temporary’ suspension of Iran’s uranium-enrichment programme. 18 December I ran signs an Additional Protocol to its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. 2004 7 April I ran declares plans to construct a heavy-water reactor to produce radioisotopes for medical research. 18 June T he IAEA adopts a resolution condemning Iran’s failure to cooperate with Agency inspectors. 23 June I ran notifi es the IAEA of its intention to resume uranium enrichment. 14 November I ran signs the ‘Paris Agreement’ with the EU3. Under the agreement, Iran agrees to voluntarily and temporarily suspend uranium enrichment activities and allow the IAEA to monitor the suspension. TIMELINE OF THE IRANIAN NUCLEAR CHALLENGE ix Timeline of the Iranian nuclear challenge 2005 13 January I ran allows IAEA inspectors partial access to the Parchin military site. 28 February I ran and Russia sign an agreement according to which Russia commits to supply nuclear fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant and to recover all spent fuel. 8 August I ran begins uranium hexafl uoride production at the Isfahan facility. 11 August S upreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issues a fatwa forbidding the ‘production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons’. 24 September The IAEA fi nds Iran in non-compliance with its Safeguard Agreement. The IAEA refers Iran to the UN Security Council following its repeated failure to fully report its nuclear activities. 20 November I ran’s parliament approves a bill to halt voluntary implementation of the Additional Protocol. 2006 10 January I ran removes IAEA seals at Natanz and resumes research on nuclear fuel under IAEA supervision. 4 February The Board of Governors passes a resolution requesting IAEA Director General, Mohammad ElBaradei, to refer Iran to the UN Security Council. 31 July T he UN Security Council approves Resolution 1969, calling upon Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities and, ‘without further delay to take the steps required by the IAEA Board of Governors in its resolution GOV/2006/14, which are essential to build confi dence in the exclusively peaceful purpose of its nuclear programme and to resolve outstanding questions’. 26 August President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurates a heavy- water production plant at Arak.
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