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EC2003 IOPG
Iran's stubborn refusal to submit to the authority of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) with regard to its nuclear program led to its emergency reference to the UN Security Council. Resolutions aimed at sanctioning Iran and leaving the door open for further action were vetoed by both Russia and China. The EU3 (France, Germany and the UK) and the United States nevertheless pressed ahead with their cooperative efforts to find a way to bring punitive action against Iran. The debacle in Pakistan, however, badly aggravated the situation. US intelligence discovered (thanks to a tip from the Mossad) that Pakistan had covertly assisted in the escape of mastermind Osama bin Laden across the border into Iran, and that the Al Qaida mastermind was now rebuilding its terror camps with the help of Tehran. The apparent link between terrorism and the Iranian nuclear program was too much for the EU/US coalition to accept, and the wheels were put into motion to put a stop to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Russia, China and Pakistan denied there was sufficient evidence of any such link, and vowed to oppose any aggression against Iran that had no Security Council support. (Released January 2006).