Letter dated 15 August 2008 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council Upon instructions from my Government and with reference to the letter of 1 August 2008 from the Permanent Representatives of France, the United Kingdom and the United States addressed to you (S/2008/520), I wish to state the following: 1. The positions of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran with regard to resolution 1803 (2008), including its paragraph 10, and other Council resolutions on Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme, as well as the entire unwarranted engagement of the Security Council in this regard have been elaborated in our previous statements and communications, particularly the letter addressed to the Secretary-General on 24 March 2008 by the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran (see A/62/767-S/2008/203). 2. As my Government has constantly stressed on different occasions, Iran’s nuclear programme has been, is and will remain absolutely peaceful. Various reports of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirm the exclusively peaceful nature of the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic of Iran, both in the past and at present. The IAEA reports also attest to the fact that Iran has been and continues to be fully committed to its international obligations with regard to its peaceful nuclear programme, and has been unwavering in its cooperation with the Agency, far beyond its treaty obligations. By resolving the six outstanding issues according to the Work Plan concluded by Iran and IAEA in August 2007 on the one hand, and conducting all its present activities — including enrichment — under the full and continuous monitoring of IAEA on the basis of the IAEA statute, the NonProliferation Treaty and the comprehensive safeguards agreement on the other, the Islamic Republic of Iran has removed all pretexts or socalled “concerns” or “ambiguities” with regard to its peaceful nuclear activities in the past and at present. 3. The settlement of all six outstanding issues has unquestionably eliminated the most advertised, yet groundless, pretexts and allegations on the basis of which the consideration of Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme was imposed on the Security Council by some Western countries which have repeatedly abused the Council’s procedures and prerogatives to advance their political agendas. Indeed, the Council’s actions on Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme is the most vivid example of the manipulation of its power by a small group of countries that have constantly ventured to act against the wish of the overwhelming majority of the United Nations Member States, which have supported Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme and have called for IAEA, as the sole pertinent body, to deal with the issue. As an example, the 118 members of the Non-Aligned Movement, in pursuance of their previous position on Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme, issued a statement at their fifteenth Ministerial Conference in Tehran last month in which they, inter alia, supported Iran’s rights and “reaffirmed that States’ choices and decisions, including those of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear technology and its fuel cycle policies must be respected” and “recognized the IAEA as the sole competent authority for verification of the respective safeguards obligations of Member States and stressed that there should be no undue pressure or interference in the Agency’s activities, especially its verification process, which would jeopardize the efficiency and credibility of the Agency”. Therefore, the Security Council’s engagement in, and actions against, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme — including resolution 1803 (2008) and its paragraph 10 that is the subject of the letter by the said three countries — lack not only fairness and objectivity, but also relevance and lawfulness. 4. The aforesaid letter has unjustly levelled certain accusations against Iranian banks, even privately-owned banks. The Islamic Republic of Iran categorically rejects such baseless allegations. The fact is that the Iranian banks have never been involved in any illicit activities, including non-peaceful nuclear activities, simply because there are no such non-peaceful nuclear activities in Iran. Indeed, the attempt of the three countries to seek the restriction of the activities of the Iranian banks is intended not only to exert undue pressure on the Iranian Government, but also to disrupt the banking and financial affairs of millions of deposit holders and customers of those banks. Therefore, the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to seek compensation for the damages that may be incurred to these banks and its citizens, as a result of those false claims and groundless accusations. 5. The said letter has also raised a baseless and absurd allegation against the Iranian banks regarding the issue of financing of terrorism. This is again a malicious attempt to unjustifiably dissuade others from dealing with the Iranian banks and their branches in different parts of the world. As a victim of terrorism, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always condemned this menace in all its forms and manifestations, and has spared no efforts to combat it. It is a sad irony that France, the United Kingdom and the United States, with their disturbing long record of sheltering, financing and supporting terrorist groups, particularly those that have targeted innocent Iranian citizens and officials, are raising such baseless allegations against others. Moreover, the authors of the letter have tended to ignore the fact that resolution 1803 (2008), as unlawful as it is, has nothing to do with the issue of terrorism! Contrary to what was claimed by the three countries in that letter, there is no deficiency in the Iranian legal and executive apparatus with regard to prevention and fighting the financing of terrorism and money-laundering. According to the Islamic Penal Code of Iran, any kind of support to terrorist groups is criminalized and subject to severe punishment. Moreover, the Iranian banking system has never violated international rules and regulations governing financial and banking transactions. Regulations for prevention of money-laundering have been in place and fully enforced for years. Besides, the Anti-Money-Laundering Act, which has entered into force since February 2008, supplements the existing provisions, and provides the necessary and sufficient legal tool to prevent and fight laundering of proceeds of any crime. 6. In the light of the above, it becomes perfectly clear that the intention of the three countries, as in the past, is to target the welfare of the Iranian nation as well as the development of the country. By doing so, they mischievously attempt to put pressure on a nation that has resolved to protect and exercise its inalienable rights. Yet, if history is any guide, they should know that no amount of pressure, intimidation and unlawful measures will be able to break the determination of such a great nation. This policy has not worked in the past, nor will it work in the future. 7. And finally, as stated time and again, Iran’s peaceful nuclear programme does not fall within the Security Council’s purview and should be dealt with solely in a routine manner by IAEA. This view is shared by the great majority of the Members of the United Nations, as indicated above. Iran is part of that overwhelming majority, not an isolated one. I should be grateful if you would bring the contents of this letter to the attention of the members of the Security Council and circulate it as a document of the Council. (Signed) Mehdi Danesh-Yazdi Ambassador Chargé d’affaires a.i.   sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2008/554 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT S/2008/554 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 08-46235 \* MERGEFORMAT 2 \* MERGEFORMAT 3 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 08-46235 United Nations S/2008/554 Security Council Distr.: General 15 August 2008 Original: English jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 08-46235 (E) 180808 Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0846235*