Russia Joins Chorus Against Iran After IAEA Reports Intent to Build Nuclear Weapons

Russia, which has been seen as the international player most reluctant to support severe sanctions against Iran, signaled that it might support those sanctions with a surprisingly tough statement issued by Foreign Minister Lavrov on Sunday. Referring to the report issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in which Iran’s long history of clandestine nuclear weapons development was unveiled, Lavrov expressed his nation’s “alarm” and said that, “we cannot accept this that Iran is refusing to co-operate with the IAEA. For about 20 years, the Iranian leadership carried out its clandestine nuclear program without reporting it to the IAEA.” France is seen as being most keen to set a new round of sanctions in-play before its term as chair of the U.N. Security Council concludes at the end of the month. Resistance to new sanctions by China, the other Security Council permanent member hesitant to support a tough approach to Iran, is also seen as abating in the aftermath of the IAEA report. Some see the report, the first issued by the IAEA after the departure of Egyptian Mohammad El-Baradei as its head, as lending credence to allegations that El-Baradei suppressed evidence of Iran’s nuclear intentions and activities.