Iran open to incentives on nuclear activities (Roundup)

Jul 2, 2008, 20:07 GMT

New York - Iran is open to discussing a new package of incentives offered by six world powers to persuade the Islamic state to rein in its controversial nuclear activities, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Wednesday.

'We see a new capacity to arrive at a comprehensive and multifaceted approach,' Mottaki told reporters at the United Nations.

Asked about the so-called 'freeze-for-freeze' option that has been discussed in diplomatic circles, Mottaki said such a solution would 'give us time to move along that path and to find that path.'

Although the exact details were unclear, 'freeze for freeze' means Iran would temporarily suspend uranium enrichment in return for an end to UN Security Council discussions about enacting more sanctions.

To date, the UN Council permanent members and Germany have insisted Iran shut down enrichment before taking talks any further - a condition repeated in the updated June 14 proposal delivered to Tehran.

Iran has yet to formally respond to the newest package of incentives delivered last month by the European Union's top diplomat, Javier Solana, but is expected to do so next week.

Solana is the lead negotiator with Iran for the five permanent members of the Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany. The incentives package requires Iran to suspend enriching uranium before formal negotiations begin.

Even though Mottaki's comments were welcomed, the United States and Britain responded sceptically, noting Iran has still not formally responded to the package offering improved diplomatic and economic relations.

'While these are positive words, we have not seen a history of their following through with any positive words,' US State Department Sean McCormack told reporters in Washington.

'But they said that they were going to have an answer in the not- too-distant future. We'll see what that answer is,' he said.

Britain's ambassador to the United Nations, John Sawers, has noted that 'there is a new language coming out of Tehran.'

'We need to wait and see what their formal response is' to the revised incentive package, Sawers was reported as saying by Bloomberg news.

The UN Security Council has passed three rounds of limited sanctions aimed at getting Tehran to suspend enriching uranium, a process that can produce weapons-grade material but is also used for energy producing nuclear reactors.

Iran maintains its nuclear programme is only for energy, but the US and some European countries suspect Tehran is seeking a weapons capability. Iran has repeatedly vowed it will not cease uranium enrichment.

Meanwhile, President George W Bush reaffirmed on Wednesday his commitment to resolving the issues with Iran diplomatically, but has not ruled out using military force.

'The best way to solve it diplomatically is for the United States to work with other nations to send a focused message,' Bush said. 'And that is that, you will be isolated and you will have economic hardship if you continue trying to enrich.'

Bush was asked about a report by ABC News citing that cited an unnamed defence official saying that Israel was planning to launch a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities by the end of the year. The US State Department dismissed the report.

Mottaki said he was confident that Bush would not launch another war in his remaining months in office, saying the US was 'not in the position for another war using taxpayer money.' He said Israel was also in no position to wage war against Iran after its summer war against Lebanon's Hezbollah militants in 2006.

Asked whether Iran would normalize its diplomatic relations with the US, Mottaki said the US had not 'reciprocated' to Iran's easing of visa restrictions to US visitors. Relations between the two countries were mostly severed since the late 1970s following Iran's seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran.

Mottaki said that Iran, whose interests are represented by Pakistan in Washington, last year granted visas to 120 American journalists. But he said Washington did not admit the same number of Iranian journalists.