UN leaders agree Iran plan
Members of the UN Security Council have agreed “far-reaching proposals” to persuade Iran to halt its nuclear programme, UK foreign secretary Margaret Beckett announced tonight.
Iran would be offered the opportunity to reach agreement with the international community through negotiation and cooperation, she said.
But it could expect “further steps” to be taken by the Security Council if it refused to come to the negotiating table, Mrs Beckett added.
“I’m pleased to say that we have agreed a set of far-reaching proposals as a basis for discussion with Iran,” she told reporters in Vienna.
“We believe that they offer Iran the chance to reach a negotiated agreement based on cooperation.
“We are prepared to resume negotiations should Iran resume suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities as required by the IAEA and we would also suspend action in the security council.
“We have also agreed that if Iran decides not to engage in negotiation further, steps would have to be taken in the Security council.”
Mrs Beckett added: “So there are two paths ahead. We urge Iran to take the positive path and consider seriously our substantive proposals which would bring significant benefits to Iran.
“We will now be talking to the Iranians about our proposals.”
She was speaking following talks between the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany, aimed at finding a diplomatic breakthrough with Iran.
Before going into the discussions earlier today, Mrs Beckett said the US had made an “important contribution” by offering to open direct negotiations with Tehran.
She added they would not be announcing the details of their package of incentives and threats to persuade Iran to abandon uranium enrichment.
Western nations – especially the US – fear Iran is enriching uranium in a bid to create a nuclear weapon, not for civil energy use as the Iranian regime claims.
Britain, France and Germany have been pressing for measures designed to end the deadlock.
Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, announced yesterday the US would join direct talks with Iran if it halted nuclear activities.
But Russia and China, which both wield vetoes at the Security Council, have made clear they would not accept any implicit threat of the use of force.
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