*Deal heightens fears over Tehran's nuclear program;
Source: DTN News / Itai Mushekwe And Harriet Alexander, National Post
(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K.- April 26, 2010: Iran has struck a secret deal with Zimbabwe to mine its untapped uranium reserves in a
move to secure raw material for its steadily expanding nuclear program.
The agreement was sealed last month during a visit to Tehran by a close aide to Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean President, The Sunday Telegraph has reported.
In return for supplying oil that Zimbabwe desperately needs to keep its faltering economy moving, Iran has been promised access to potentially huge deposits of uranium ore -- which can be converted into the basic fuel for nuclear power or enriched to make a nuclear bomb.
"Iran secured the exclusive uraniumrights lastmonthwhen minister of state for presidential affairs, Didymus Mutasa, visited Tehran," said a Zimbabwean government source.
The disclosure came after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, visited Zimbabwe last week to show his support for Mr. Mugabe. At an official dinner in his honour on Thursday, Mr.
Ahmadinejad attacked what he termed "expansionist countries" for exerting "satanic pressures on the people of Zimbabwe."
Mr. Mugabe said both Zimbabwe and Iran were targeted by the West because they wanted to manage their own natural resources.
"We remain resolute in defending Zimbabwe's right to exercise its sovereignty over its natural resources. We have equally supported Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as enshrined in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty," he said.
After 30 years in power, Mr. Mugabe has presided over the dramatic collapse of his country, turning one of the most bountiful lands in Africa into a disaster zone that mixes corruption, mismanagement, violence and human rights violations on a scale that almost ranks alongside the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur.
The uranium deal will heighten fears in the West that Iran is stepping up its nuclear program, which intelligence agencies believe is intended to lead to the development of nuclear weapons.
Iran maintains that its efforts are aimed solely at providing energy but the United Nations Security Council is considering imposing harsher sanctions because of its refusal to allow proper monitoring of its nuclear sites.
Yesterday, Revolutionary Guards test-fired five missiles during war games in a waterway crucial for global oil supplies, and a commander warned the Iran's enemies they would regret any attack.
Iran often announces advances in its military capabilities and tests weaponry in an apparent bid to show its readiness for any strikes by Israel or the United States.
Last week, the Pentagon said U.S. military action against Iran remained an option even as Washington pursues diplomacy and sanctions to halt the country's atomic activities.
The semi-official Fars News Agency said the Guards' naval units fired five missiles at a target, without making clear whether they were newly designed missiles.
"Despite the different places from which the missiles were fired, they all hit the target simultaneously and completely destroyed it," Fars said. The missiles were surface-to-surface and surface-to-sea.
The United States is pushing for a fourth round of UN sanctions against Tehran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities as demanded by the UN Security Council, including proposed moves against members of the Guards.
Most of Iran's uranium came from South Africa during the 1970s, but its stockpiles are running low, The Sunday Telegraph has learned, so access to Zimbabwe's reserves has been granted at a crucial moment.
The government source added: "The uranium deal is the culmination of a lot of work dating back to 2007, when Mr. Mugabe visited Tehran in search of fuel. Now Iran is beginning to reap the benefits."
An official at the Iranian embassy in Harare confirmed Tehran had been offered the uranium rights. "After a lot of diplomatic work and understanding, we have received reports of a deal having been made for Iran to mine not only uranium but also other metals," he said.
Any deal to supply Iran is likely to put Zimbabwe in breach of current UN sanctions on Tehran. Under Security Council Resolution 1737, passed in December 2006, all countries are ordered to "prevent the supply, sale or transfer" of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology that could contribute to Iran's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities."
Mr. Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, insisted that mining rights had not yet been finalized, but he defended Iran's right to apply for them.
"The Iranians have a peaceful nuclear program. This cannot be said about the Americans, who mined uranium in the Democratic Republic of Congo and went on to produce a nuclear bomb used to attack Japan," he said. "We have our uranium and no one is mining it, until we decide otherwise."
The extent of Zimbabwe's uranium reserves is uncertain, although some experts believe that they may be large. Exploration has indicated that there are an estimated 450,000 tons of uranium ore with some 20,000 tons of extractable uranium.
The Sunday Telegraph, with files from Reuters and National Post
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2951042&p=2#ixzz0mCAqzoAC
Source: DTN News / Itai Mushekwe And Harriet Alexander, National Post(NSI News Source Info) LONDON, U.K.- April 26, 2010: Iran has struck a secret deal with Zimbabwe to mine its untapped uranium reserves in a
move to secure raw material for its steadily expanding nuclear program.The agreement was sealed last month during a visit to Tehran by a close aide to Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean President, The Sunday Telegraph has reported.
In return for supplying oil that Zimbabwe desperately needs to keep its faltering economy moving, Iran has been promised access to potentially huge deposits of uranium ore -- which can be converted into the basic fuel for nuclear power or enriched to make a nuclear bomb.
"Iran secured the exclusive uraniumrights lastmonthwhen minister of state for presidential affairs, Didymus Mutasa, visited Tehran," said a Zimbabwean government source.
The disclosure came after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, visited Zimbabwe last week to show his support for Mr. Mugabe. At an official dinner in his honour on Thursday, Mr.
Ahmadinejad attacked what he termed "expansionist countries" for exerting "satanic pressures on the people of Zimbabwe."
Mr. Mugabe said both Zimbabwe and Iran were targeted by the West because they wanted to manage their own natural resources.
"We remain resolute in defending Zimbabwe's right to exercise its sovereignty over its natural resources. We have equally supported Iran's right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as enshrined in the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty," he said.
After 30 years in power, Mr. Mugabe has presided over the dramatic collapse of his country, turning one of the most bountiful lands in Africa into a disaster zone that mixes corruption, mismanagement, violence and human rights violations on a scale that almost ranks alongside the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur.
The uranium deal will heighten fears in the West that Iran is stepping up its nuclear program, which intelligence agencies believe is intended to lead to the development of nuclear weapons.
Iran maintains that its efforts are aimed solely at providing energy but the United Nations Security Council is considering imposing harsher sanctions because of its refusal to allow proper monitoring of its nuclear sites.
Yesterday, Revolutionary Guards test-fired five missiles during war games in a waterway crucial for global oil supplies, and a commander warned the Iran's enemies they would regret any attack.
Iran often announces advances in its military capabilities and tests weaponry in an apparent bid to show its readiness for any strikes by Israel or the United States.
Last week, the Pentagon said U.S. military action against Iran remained an option even as Washington pursues diplomacy and sanctions to halt the country's atomic activities.
The semi-official Fars News Agency said the Guards' naval units fired five missiles at a target, without making clear whether they were newly designed missiles.
"Despite the different places from which the missiles were fired, they all hit the target simultaneously and completely destroyed it," Fars said. The missiles were surface-to-surface and surface-to-sea.
The United States is pushing for a fourth round of UN sanctions against Tehran over its refusal to halt sensitive nuclear activities as demanded by the UN Security Council, including proposed moves against members of the Guards.
Most of Iran's uranium came from South Africa during the 1970s, but its stockpiles are running low, The Sunday Telegraph has learned, so access to Zimbabwe's reserves has been granted at a crucial moment.
The government source added: "The uranium deal is the culmination of a lot of work dating back to 2007, when Mr. Mugabe visited Tehran in search of fuel. Now Iran is beginning to reap the benefits."
An official at the Iranian embassy in Harare confirmed Tehran had been offered the uranium rights. "After a lot of diplomatic work and understanding, we have received reports of a deal having been made for Iran to mine not only uranium but also other metals," he said.
Any deal to supply Iran is likely to put Zimbabwe in breach of current UN sanctions on Tehran. Under Security Council Resolution 1737, passed in December 2006, all countries are ordered to "prevent the supply, sale or transfer" of all items, materials, equipment, goods and technology that could contribute to Iran's enrichment-related, reprocessing or heavy water-related activities."
Mr. Mugabe's spokesman, George Charamba, insisted that mining rights had not yet been finalized, but he defended Iran's right to apply for them.
"The Iranians have a peaceful nuclear program. This cannot be said about the Americans, who mined uranium in the Democratic Republic of Congo and went on to produce a nuclear bomb used to attack Japan," he said. "We have our uranium and no one is mining it, until we decide otherwise."
The extent of Zimbabwe's uranium reserves is uncertain, although some experts believe that they may be large. Exploration has indicated that there are an estimated 450,000 tons of uranium ore with some 20,000 tons of extractable uranium.
The Sunday Telegraph, with files from Reuters and National Post
Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2951042&p=2#ixzz0mCAqzoAC
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