Zimbabwe: U.S. Warns Govt On Support for Iran Nuclear Programme

SW Radio Africa (London)

Tererai Karimakwenda

9 March 2011

Zimbabwean authorities received a warning on Monday from the United States, over the country’s growing cooperation with Iran’s controversial nuclear programme.

P.J. Crowley, a spokesperson for the US State Department, issued a strong statement warning Zimbabwe that cooperating with Iran on its nuclear programme would violate existing UN resolutions. He said Zimbabwe could face international penalties if it helped with Iran’s nuclear development.

The State Department warning came after Zimbabwe’s foreign minister, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, made statements suggesting that UN sanctions on Iran are unfair and hypocritical.

“The foreign minister of Zimbabwe is entitled to his opinion but the government of Zimbabwe is still bound by its commitments to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions,” Crowley told reporters.

He said helping Iran to extract uranium would violate U.N. Security Council resolutions and “There are ramifications for countries that decline to observe their international obligations.”

Officials from Iran and Zimbabwe have been holding talks to find a way to utilize large reserves of uranium that were discovered in Zimbabwe. It is known that Iran’s foreign minister visited Zimbabwe “secretly” in January to assess the situation. After the visit, Robert Mugabe denied reports that Iran had secured uranium rights, but made statements suggesting Iran had the right to ask for it.

Iran needs the uranium ore for its ambitious and secretive nuclear development and Zimbabwe does not have the expensive equipment needed to process it. The US and its UN allies believe Iran secretly wants to develop nuclear weapons. Iran’s refusal to cooperate with the UN Atomic watchdog has led to military sanctions.

Noting that both Zimbabwe and Iran have been criticized for harsh human rights abuses, Crowley joked: “It would be quite a match for Zimbabwe and Iran to cooperate” on uranium mining.

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