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Transcript/Script((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Israel Hamas Iran Nuclear Program
HEADLINE: Israel-Hamas War: Will Iran Leverage Its Nuclear Program as Tensions Soar?
TEASER: Analysts say conflict has ended hopes of nuclear de-escalation following US-Iran prisoner swap
PUBLISHED: Wednesday, 10/25/2023 at
BYLINE: Henry Ridgwell
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: London
VIDEOGRAPHER: Henry Ridgwell
VIDEO EDITOR: Henry Ridgwell, Henry Hernandez
SCRIPT EDITORS: Reifenrath, DJ (ok), Holly Franko
VIDEO SOURCES: Zoom, APTN, AFP, Reuters
PLATFORMS: WEB _X_ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 3:30 EDT
VID APPROVED BY: pcd
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[As tensions in the Middle East escalate following the Hamas terror attack on Israel – and Israel’s subsequent bombing of Hamas targets in Gaza – the future of Iran’s nuclear program remains unresolved. As Henry Ridgwell reports, the West sees Tehran as the major backer of Hamas, and the group’s attack on Israel has set back efforts to de-escalate tensions with Iran.]]
((NARRATOR))
Western leaders see Iran as the major supporter of Hamas militants – but have not accused Tehran of direct involvement in the group’s October 7 cross-border attack on Israel.
Prior to the attack, relations between the West and Iran had been cautiously improving. In September, the United States struck a prisoner-swap deal with Tehran and released 6 billion dollars of frozen Iranian assets. That money has since been re-frozen.
((Ali Vaez, International Crisis Group Iran Analyst)) ((cf. Zoom logo))
“There was room for direct negotiations towards the end of October between Iran and the U.S., in Oman. But that, I think, is now completely off the books, and there is probably no political space left for direct engagement between the two countries.”
((NARRATOR))
Talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — or JCPOA — stalled last year, though neither side has said it is officially finished.
The United States pulled out of the JCPOA in 2018 – and Iran stopped complying with its commitments soon after.
The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in its August report that Iran was continuing to enrich uranium up to 60 percent purity –
short of 90 percent weapons-grade fuel. Iran has removed IAEA monitoring equipment and has blocked some inspectors from visiting the country.
((Ali Vaez, International Crisis Group Iran Analyst)) ((cf. Zoom logo))
“As part of the de-escalatory understanding between Iran and the U.S., Iran stopped accumulating additional 60% enriched uranium. Well, that might now change given the rising tensions between the two sides. It would take Iran less than a week to enrich enough uranium for a single nuclear weapon. And that's why this is literally a ticking bomb and there needs to be a solution one way or another to curb Iran's nuclear activities.”
((NARRATOR))
IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said he saw “no correlation” between the Israel-Hamas war and Iran’s nuclear program.
((Peter Jenkins, Former British Ambassador to IAEA)) ((cf. Zoom logo))
“There's still no evidence that Iran is contemplating a move away from compliance with its essential nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty commitment, which is to refrain from manufacturing nuclear weapons.”
((NARRATOR))
Could Tehran seek to use its nuclear program as leverage against the West – as tensions increase in the region?
((Peter Jenkins, Former British Ambassador to IAEA))((cf. Zoom logo))
“I can imagine them looking for ways of increasing concern and anxiety in the West about their nuclear program, but stopping short of actually, shall we say, crossing the line and ceasing to be in compliance with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
((NARRATOR))
Meanwhile, Israel has repeatedly said it would not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.
Israel itself is widely believed to have atomic weapons – though it does not allow IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites.
((Henry Ridgwell, VOA News, London.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateOctober 25, 2023 07:00 EDT
BylineHenry Ridgwell
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English, US Agency for Global Media
