Annan sees fears Iran standoff could lead to war
Pastor Dale Morgan
Monday September 11, 3:03 AM Reuters
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Annan sees fears Iran standoff could lead to war*
PARIS (Reuters) - Middle Eastern leaders are worried the current
standoff between Iran and the West over Tehran's nuclear ambitions could
degenerate into war, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in an
interview broadcast on Sunday.
Interviewed on French radio, Annan urged a negotiated settlement to the
crisis but acknowledged there were concerns in the region that it could
worsen and end in military action.
Asked whether he could envisage a situation escalating from sanctions
against Iran to war, Annan said: "That's the fear among a lot of
government leaders I met in the region, because they lived through Iraq
and they're afraid."
Iran's nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy
chief Javier Solana met at the weekend to seek a compromise before
possible punitive action after Iran ignored an August 31 Security
Council deadline to stop enriching uranium.
They said they had made progress at the talks in Vienna and Annan said
he hoped more could be made.
"Frankly, I think the best solution is a negotiated one. If we move
towards confrontation, I fear that will create an enormous number of
problems for them, especially in a region where there are already
several crises," he said in a pre-recorded interview.
He said Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told him he intended to go
to the United Nations in New York.
Annan sees no need to become directly involved in the discussions for
the time being.
"The countries are discussing things between themselves. The moment
hasn't come for me to intervene. So I leave them and I encourage them,"
he said.
Western powers including the United States and the European Union
suspect Iran of trying to develop technology that would allow it to
produce atomic weapons and want Tehran to stop uranium enrichment
activities.
Iran says its nuclear programme is peaceful and insists it has the right
to develop the technology.
The United States has been pressing for Security Council sanctions after
Tehran ignored the August 31 deadline but Annan expressed scepticism
about the prospects of agreement in the face of strong opposition from
some Council members.
"It's not whether I'm in favour or not, it isn't sure that they would
pass so easily in the Council," he said. "There's a division at the moment."
Russia and China, both of which have strong trade ties to Iran, oppose
sanctions and could block them.