The White House insisted on Friday that Iran had to suspend sensitive nuclear fuel work as a ”non-negotiable” element of a deal hammered out by world powers to limit its atomic ambitions.
As Tehran came under growing pressure to accept the proposals, White House spokesperson Tony Snow said European nations would make a detailed presentation over ”the next couple of days” of the carrot-and-stick package.
Iran would then have ”a matter of weeks” to accept it, he added. ”The one thing that is not negotiable is that Iran must suspend enrichment-related and reprocessing activities,” Snow told reporters.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Iran to seize what she called an ”incredible opportunity”.
”I find the two parts of the offer to be an incredible opportunity for Iran but also for the entire region,” Merkel told reporters after talks with King Abdullah of Jordan.
”I call on all forces of reason to recognise this opportunity and to build on it.”
Speaking at the same news conference, Abdullah said that ”all parties must work to find a diplomatic solution”.
Visiting Ankara, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said there were ”very strong signs” the proposals would help resolve the row over Iran’s nuclear activities, which Europe and the United States fear may be a cover for weapons development, but Tehran says is a peaceful drive for energy.
Steinmeier was one of the envoys who agreed the deal at a meeting on Thursday in Vienna of the foreign ministers from the five permanent United Nations Security Council members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US — as well as Germany.
”Very important progress has been achieved in the efforts for solution and there are very strong signs that they will be successful,” he told reporters after talks with Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul.
Their offer of trade, technology and security benefits if Tehran suspends enrichment — the core process to make nuclear fuel but which can also be used in atomic bombs — came with a threat of penalties if it failed to comply.
Gul gave his support, and said he had telephoned Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki urging him to study the proposals carefully.
”There is a new chance. It should not be missed. We believe it is possible to make use of it and allow for a diplomatic solution,” Gul said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said there was ”no kind of ultimatum deadline, although I think we are talking about several weeks”.
He was also quoted by Russian news agencies as saying the Vienna talks ”in all circumstances exclude the use of military force” against Iran.
He refused to be drawn on what measures might be taken if Iran refused.
”At the moment we won’t guess because such guesses pour oil on the fire of emotional discussions and give a reason for those who want to destroy the possibility of a negotiated resolution,” he said.
In Tehran, however, a leading cleric dismissed a warning by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that the Islamic republic would incur ”great costs” if it rejected the latest international offer.
”We are ready to pay a great cost to defend our ideals,” Hojatoleslam Ahmad Khatami said in his sermon at the main weekly Muslim prayers.
”The Iranian people have shown during the past 27 years that they are ready to pay any price for their ideals and the defence of their country,” he said, referring to the period since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Dominique Moisi, of France’s IFRI think-tank, said the Iranians were just playing for time.
”The Americans have made a revolutionary turnover by agreeing to negotiate with the Iranians, but the Iranians have probably interpreted it as a sign of victory for them,” Moisi said.
Iran thinks that ”by the end of the process, by hook or by crook, they will become a nuclear [weapons] power,” Moisi said. — AFP
