Iran Nuclear Row Escalates as China Warns of Dire Consequences
- Beijing rebukes approach of Europe, U.S. and IAEA inspectors
- Row amplifies growing divisions between Beijing and Washington
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Diplomacy over Iran’s atomic program erupted into a new level of rancor, with China warning that even a toned-down rebuke of Tehran over its alleged lack of cooperation with inspectors could unravel global efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons.
A U.S.-backed resolution drafted by three European powers at the International Atomic Energy Agency calls on Iran to “fully cooperate” with IAEA requests to visit two sites that may have hosted low-level atomic work two decades ago. But it has triggered a furious backlash from Iranian allies, with China submitting a 5-page statement to the Vienna-based IAEA on Thursday arguing the reprimand could demolish “the entire global non-proliferation regime.”