International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors meet

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• published: 24 Jul 2015
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SHOTLIST 1. Wide tilt up exterior of the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna 2. Media vehicles 3. Delegate walking into the building 4. Wide interior of meeting room 5. Iranian ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh arriving, taking his seat 6. Cutaway, pan from cameraman to arriving delegates 7. Close of cameraman 8. Mid of Russian delegation 9. US ambassador Glyn Davies talking with other delegates 10. Wide of board room 11. Cameramen 12. IAEA director general Yukiya Amano taking place at the chair 13. Wide pan interior of meeting room STORYLINE Members of the 35-nation International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) gathered in the Austrian capital Vienna on Wednesday, hours before an expected vote at the UN Security Council on new sanctions against Iran. The Security Council is to vote on widespread targeted sanctions against Iranian agencies, companies and individuals in an attempted clampdown over Iran's nuclear developments. A resolution will seek to target 40 new Iranian entities, including 15 linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard. It would also add one individual to the previous list of 40 Iranians subject to an asset freeze, Javad Rahiqi, who heads the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran's Esfahan Nuclear Technology Centre. It includes 22 entities involved in nuclear or ballistic missile activities and three entities linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines. Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely peaceful, aimed at producing nuclear energy and medical isotopes, but the United States and its Western allies believe Tehran's real goal is to build atomic weapons. For the first time on Monday, the head of the IAEA, Yukiya Amano, singled out Iran as a "special case" because of suspicions it may be trying to make nuclear weapons. It was in keeping with the generally tougher line taken by Amano on Iran compared to his predecessor, Mohamed ElBaradei, who was occasionally criticised by the US and other Western nations for his perceived reluctance to take Iran to task. Iran is stonewalling IAEA attempts to follow up on intelligence from the US and other nations that suggests Tehran has hidden nuclear weapons experiments from the world. The planned fourth set of UN sanctions reflects concerns about such programmes, plus Tehran's refusal to freeze uranium enrichment. Iran says it wants to develop enriched uranium as a fuel source, but it can also be used to make nuclear warheads. Iran - and Syria, which is also suspected of hiding weapons-related nuclear activities - have for years taken up prime time at IAEA board meetings. But that attention may be blunted this time by another agenda item - this one critical of Israel, which is universally assumed to have nuclear arms. Israel is widely believed to have a sizable nuclear arsenal. Israel refuses to confirm or deny the suspicions. Israel's so-called policy of nuclear ambiguity is a cornerstone of its military deterrence. It has long said that a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace must precede such weapons bans. Israel has never signed the non-proliferation treaty, which requires members to open nuclear facilities to inspection and to disarm. The IAEA item, listed as "Israeli nuclear capabilities," marks the first time in 19 years that the board has been asked to formally discuss the issue. Elevating Israel to the same status as Iran and Syria on the board's agenda in some ways detracts from Western attempts to keep the heat on Tehran and Damascus and could split the board even further - developing nations at board meetings are generally supportive of Iran and Syria and hostile to Israel. The latest pressure is putting the Jewish state in an uncomfortable position. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4a6c8b5cdc4adbc7ca6f41887ad0db91 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork