Agence France Presse – The United States on Tuesday denied reports that Iran had offered to temporarily suspend its enrichment of uranium as part of a deal designed to avoid UN sanctions.
"I’m afraid that whoever was the source of those stories didn’t seem to have an accurate read of the situation," said Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman.
"To the best of my knowledge, there’s been no Iranian proposal (and) there’s been no change in the Iranian position, meaning they have not agreed to suspend uranium enrichment activities for any length of time," he said.
On Monday US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice left open the possibility that Washington could be satisfied with a temporary suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment program, which the United States believes is part of an effort to develop nuclear weapons.
But she stressed that any such suspension would have to be verifiable and take place prior to any negotiations on improving relations with the regime in Tehran.
According to diplomats in Europe, Iran’s main nuclear negotiator, Ari Larijani, offered the conditional two-month suspension of the enrichment program in weekend talks with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana.
Solana is trying to convince Iran to accept a deal put forward by the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany offering a series of economic and diplomatic incentives if Tehran will end its uranium enrichment.
The UN Security Council demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment activities by August 31 or face the prospect of sanctions.
Tehran has so far rejected the resolution, insisting its nuclear program is for the peaceful production of energy and not to make weapons.
In parallel with the Solana-Larijani talks, the United States continued this week to press its partners to move ahead with a new series of UN resolutions imposing a graduated set of sanctions against Iran.
Casey said senior diplomats from the six countries — Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States — discussed the issue Tuesday by telephone and that Washington was pressing for additional talks this week at the United Nations.
Rice said she would also meet with her counterparts from the six countries on the sideline of the UN General Assembly next week in New York.
When asked on Monday about the reported Iranian offer of a temporary suspension of uranium enrichment, Rice did not reject the notion out of hand, as US officials have in the past.
"As to time limitations, I haven’t heard any Iranian offer so I don’t know what to make of that," was all she said.
Rice also voiced support for Solana’s efforts to bring the Iranians into line with the UN demands, despite earlier and repeated US statements that the time for talking with Tehran was past and that it was now essential to move ahead with sanctions.
The slight softening in tone appeared aimed at trying to avoid opening a rift between Washington and its five partners, who have shown less enthusiasm than the United States for going ahead with the sanctions against.
