On Friday, President Obama revealed information [8] that Iran had been building a secret nuclear enrichment facility [9] for several years. Obama accused Iran of not meeting its NPT safeguards obligations, and warned, “Iran is breaking rules that all nations must follow.” Calling for action, Obama said, “To put it simply: Iran must comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions and make clear it is willing to meet its responsibilities as a member of the community of nations.”
President Obama made the announcement at the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh, speaking alongside French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Obama presented his evidence of Iran’s program to the IAEA twenty-four hours after the Security Council unanimously passed a U.S. resolution strengthening verification and enforcement measures that could bring punitive actions against Iran.
This has been a momentous week for Obama's nuclear policy. The outcomes will be determined in the weeks and months to come. Keep up to date with the latest developments by reading our daily news summary - Morning Joe [10] - and by following Joe Cirincione on Twitter [11].
Links
[1] https://ploughshares.org/file/1152
[2] http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-By-President-Barack-Obama-In-Prague-As-Delivered/
[3] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/joe-cirincione/outmaneuvering-iran_b_300255.html
[4] http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-the-United-Nations-General-Assembly/
[5] http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs//2009/sc9746.doc.htm
[6] http://www.cfr.org/publication/20286/fact_sheet_on_the_united_nations_security_council_summit_on_nuclear_nonproliferation_and_nuclear_disarmament_unsc_resolution_1887.html
[7] http://armscontrol.org/ClintonCTBTStatement
[8] http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statements-By-President-Obama-French-President-Sarkozy-And-British-Prime-Minister-Brown-On-Iranian-Nuclear-Facility/
[9] http://www.politico.com/blogs/laurarozen/0909/Iran_admits_covert_enrichment_facility_to_IAEA.html
[10] http://www.ploughshares.org/news-analysis/morning-joe
[11] http://twitter.com/cirincione