Iran nuke row 'can't be fixed through confrontation'

The Iranian nuclear issue cannot be solved through political confrontation, but through diplomatic efforts and cooperation on safeguards and supervision, a Chinese envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said. This came as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on Thursday "strongly" urged an immediate halt to military operations in the Middle East, as the United States launched fresh attacks on Iran. "China strongly urges the relevant parties to immediately cease military operations, return to dialogue and negotiation, respond to the mediation efforts of relevant countries, and achieve a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible," ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in response to a question about the Middle East situation. China's IAEA permanent representative Li Song said the historical evolution of the Iranian nuclear issue, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action being reached and then violated, fully demonstrates that the solution to the issue lies in political and diplomatic settlement, as well as in promoting dialogue and cooperation. Li said that it was precisely after Washington and the E3 countries (Britain, France and Germany) pushed for the Iranian nuclear resolution at the board of governors meeting a year ago that Israel and the United States brazenly launched attacks on Tehran's nuclear facilities under safeguards and supervision. This year, a second strike was carried out against Iran. This is the fundamental reason why the cooperation between Iran and the IAEA on safeguards and supervision was forced to be suspended and has yet to return to normal, he pointed out on Wednesday as the IAEA board of governors met to review the Iranian nuclear issue this week. Li emphasised that political confrontation within the board of governors would not solve the Iranian nuclear issue. Forcing the passage of a resolution would only intensify the conflict, and submitting it to the United Nations Security Council would also not yield a solution. The issue can only be properly resolved through political and diplomatic efforts and cooperation in safeguards and supervision within the framework of the IAEA, on the premise of fully respecting Iran's legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy as a member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, he said. The board should play a constructive role in diplomatic negotiations and create conditions for cooperation between Iran and the IAEA as well as the political and diplomatic settlement process of the Iranian nuclear issue, rather than creating new obstacles, Li said. Li noted that the four-point proposal put forward by President Xi Jinping on promoting peace and stability in the Middle East fully reflects China's consistent position and active efforts to promote peace, end the war and advocate dialogue to resolve differences. The Global Governance Initiative and the Global Security Initiative have greater guiding significance for properly resolving the Iranian nuclear issue under the current circumstances. China will work with all parties to promote the political settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue, safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and promote peace and stability in the Middle East, Li said. During the meeting, a resolution on the Iranian nuclear issue jointly promoted by the United States, Britain, France and Germany was passed. Of the 34 member states with voting rights on the board, China, Russia and Niger voted against the resolution, while 10 countries including Brazil, South Africa, India, Egypt and Thailand abstained. (Xinhua/AFP) Edited by Tony Sabine