Iran still is five years away from constructing a nuclear weapon, according to a British research group. That's good news -- but only if that dire situation is really that far off and if international pressure can thwart Tehran's mad dash for nuclear arms.
The report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies was based in part on nuclear-site visits that were arranged by Iranian officials.
"There remains a good deal that cannot be known . . . from the outside," said Institute Director John Chipman.
European attempts to block Iran's nuclear program have had little success thus far. Iran is believed to have restarted its nuclear project last month and has been pumping out tons of a gas needed for the enrichment of uranium.
This is important -- in some ways more so than what happens in Iraq -- because the Iranian leaders are extremists who support the terrorist groups that attack Israel and the West.
Iran already has missiles capable of carrying conventional bombs to targets in neighboring nations. U.S. officials fear that someday those short- and intermediate-range missiles will be equipped with nuclear warheads.
Because of their trade relationships, European nations have more leverage with Tehran than does the United States. Britain, France and Germany have been trying to rein in Iran's nuclear ambitions for some time, but Iran has been able to stall punishment for violating the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, to which it is a signatory.
In November, Iran promised European Union negotiators that it would suspend nuclear processing in exchange for economic incentives. It failed to live up to that agreement.
French President Jacques Chirac rightly warned Tehran's leaders early this month that Iran faces censure from the United Nations if they don't freeze nuclear activities. Iran claims the enrichment of uranium and related work are for peaceful purposes. That seems unlikely in a nation that has enough oil and gas reserves to forgo nuclear power.
Iranian officials answered Chirac's warning with harsh criticism of European meddling in their affairs.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency, said Iranians continue to dodge inspectors' questions about uranium and plutonium development.
The atomic agency should recommend punitive steps against this nation at a Sept. 19 meeting. If Iran fails to change course, it should be slapped with economic sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council.
Either Russia or China, two of the five permanent council members, might veto sanctions. A veto would tell the world that the Russians or Chinese care more about their trade business with Iran than they do about eliminating nuclear proliferation.
At a time when the United Nations' corruption has been disclosed and its usefulness is questioned, the world body needs to demonstrate it can act effectively to stem the spread of nuclear arms.
