Tehran, 31 May (AKI) - Shortly after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced on Wednesday that her country is ready to join multilateral talks with Iran on its nuclear program once the country "fully and verifiably" stops enriching uranium, a top Iranian diplomat announced that Tehran's atomic plans are irreversible.
"The United States, Europe and the international community must resign themselves and accept that the nuclear activities of the Islamic Republic, starting with uranium enrichment, are irreversible," said Mohammad Saiidi, the deputy chief of Iran's delegation to the Vienna-based UN atomic watchdog. "We will not take part in any negotiation which has as a precondition the suspension of uranium enrichment, not even a temporary one," said the Iranian representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). | Thanks, we were worried you might have taken us up on it. Silly me. |
Rice's offer comes on the eve of a crucial meeting of UN Security Council members plus Germany on Thursday. Britain, France and Germany have drafted a package of incentives and penalties aimed at convincing Iran to give up its nuclear programme, which world powers fear is aimed at building nuclear weapons. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany are scheduled to discuss the negotiating plan of the three European countries on Thursday in Vienna before presenting it to Tehran.
Iran and the US have only had limited contact with Iranian officials since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Rice told a press conference on Wednesday that "to underscore our commitment to a diplomatic solution and to enhance prospects for success, as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities, the United States will come to the table." |