Iran defiant as nuclear row grows
Iran again vowed to continue enriching uranium, in a potential setback to a European plan to ease the nuclear standoff with Tehran by offering sales of nuclear fuel and a trade deal as incentives.
Britain, France and Germany were to offer Iranian officials the sweeteners today in a private meeting in Vienna, hoping to persuade the country to stop enrichment, which can be used both to generate electricity or build a nuclear weapon.
But even before they could make a formal pitch, Iran said last night it had a compromise proposal which would not affect its right to enrich uranium.
The Iranians did not give details, but President Mohammad Khatami made it clear that his government had no intention of stopping the practice. “We expect that our legitimate rights be recognised and that Iran not be deprived of nuclear technology,” Khatami said in Tehran.
By offering incentives, the three European powers are giving Iran one last chance to avoid the threat of United Nations sanctions.
Although Iran insists its nuclear activities are peaceful and geared purely towards generating electric power, the United States has accused it of running a clandestine weapons program.
On November 25, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board of governors will deliver a fresh assessment of Iran’s co-operation – or lack of it – with the nuclear watchdog agency.
The United States is pressing to report Iran’s non-compliance to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions.
The foreign ministers of Britain and Germany this week urged Iran to indefinitely suspend its nuclear programme. Iran has resumed testing, assembling and making centrifuges used to enrich uranium, heightening US concerns that its sole purpose is to build a bomb.
But the European negotiators are holding out hope that a diplomatic confrontation – and the looming threat of punishing sanctions – can be avoided if Tehran agrees to give up enriching uranium in exchange for peaceful nuclear technology.
IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said the nuclear agency was not directly involved in the talks, but that agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei “absolutely” welcomed the initiative.
