US Focuses On Getting Iran Back To Negotiating Table

NUKEWARS

McCormack reaffirmed the US position that Iran should be taken before the UN Security Council and there were enough votes within the IAEA's 35-member board to do so. But he added, "We will reserve the right to seek that action at the time of our choosing."

Washington (AFP) Nov 21, 2005
The United States is focused on getting Iran back to the bargaining table in the dispute over Tehran's nuclear intentions while holding out the threat of UN action, a spokesman said Monday.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stopped short of confirming reports from Vienna that Washington and its European allies were delaying a move to haul Iran before the UN Security Council.

But three days before the International Atomic Energy Agency was to take up Iran's case at its board meeting in Vienna, McCormack said, "We're trying to encourage Iran to get back to the negotiating table."

"We're trying to work with the international community to give the Iranians every opportunity to avail themselves of the negotiating mechanism that is out there and to avail themselves of some potentially very interesting offers."

France, Germany and Britain have been trying to wean Iran off its suspected program to build a nuclear bomb. But Tehran has rejected a package of security and economic incentives put forth by the "EU-3."

The United States has long pushed for UN action and claimed victory at an IAEA board meeting in September that found the Islamic republic in breach of its international obligations on the use of nuclear power.

There has been little movement since but diplomats in Vienna said the Europeans and Americans were willing to put off a UN referral again to give Russia a chance to broker a compromise deal.

McCormack reaffirmed the US position that Iran should be taken before the UN Security Council and there were enough votes within the IAEA's 35-member board to do so.

But he added, "We will reserve the right to seek that action at the time of our choosing."

McCormack declined to discuss whether progress had been made in winning over Russia and China, which had balked at referring Iran to the world body.

He also would not predict the action to be taken at the IAEA meeting opening Thursday. "I think at this point we're going to wait to see how the diplomacy unfolds over the next several days," the spokesman said.

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NUKEWARS

Iran Takes Tough Stance Ahead Of UN Nuclear Meeting

Tehran (AFP) Nov 20, 2005
Iran was Sunday sticking to its tough stance ahead of a crucial meeting of the UN's atomic agency, refusing to bow to demands for greater transparency in its nuclear programme and threatening tough retaliation if referred to the Security Council.

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