The Iranian government decided to enter into a fresh round of negotiations with Britain, France and Germany next month, aimed at resolving the nuclear stand-off, after a meeting with British, French and German officials in Paris on Wednesday.
A European diplomat said: ”On balance, it is a reasonably positive outcome. The Iranians have decided it is still worth talking and see benefits from this.”
Iran denies being engaged in a covert programme to build a nuclear bomb. Britain, France and Germany remain suspicious and want Iran to suspend its uranium-enrichment programme indefinitely.
Failure to agree a new round of negotiations would have triggered an international crisis, with referral to the United Nations Security Council and the possibility of sanctions against Tehran. Israel has hinted at military action.
Sirus Naseri, an Iranian negotiator, said Iran rejected the demand that it terminate its uranium enrichment.
”This is not something we’re prepared to consider,” he said. ”There will be a further discussion within the next few weeks. Time is of the essence.”
The meeting in Paris was to review whether the first round of negotiations, which broke up in Geneva last week after three months, had made enough progress to justify continuation.
Iran is entitled under international law to carry out uranium enrichment. Since negotiations began in December, it has temporarily suspended its nuclear enrichment programme as a confidence-building measure.
Britain, France and Germany want an indefinite suspension as ”an objective guarantee” to satisfy them that Tehran is not building a bomb.
The three European countries have found themselves cast in the role of buffers between Iran and the US and Israel.
The US initially favoured an immediate referral of the issue to the UN Security Council for the implementation of sanctions, but in recent weeks has swung round behind the European approach. — Guardian Unlimited Â