US officials say Iran's response on nuke incentives unacceptable, new sanctions to be imposed

EU receives reply from Iran on nuke incentive

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-06 08:25:18

·Solana's office received a letter from Iran, but yet to analyze it, EU source said. ·Solana held a phone conversation with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili Monday. ·Six nations have offered Iran package for its suspension of uranium enrichment activities.

BRUSSELS, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) --

Javier Solana, foreign policy chief of the European Union, received a reply from Iran Tuesday to an incentive package aimed at encouraging Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment, an EU source said.

Solana's office received a letter from Iran, but yet to analyze it, according to an unnamed aide of Solana, who has kept in touch on the issue with Iran on behalf of France, China, Russia, Britain, the United States and Germany.

Solana held a phone conversation with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili Monday to discuss the Iranian nuclear issue as a follow-up to the meeting they had in Geneva on July 19.

A news release from his office did not give more details about their conversation, but said that "Solana will be in touch with the authorities" of the six nations, which have offered Iran the package for its suspension of uranium enrichment activities.

Their talks came two days after the expiration of a deadline set at the Geneva meeting for Iran to give "a clear answer" to the offer.

Solana, who handed the incentive package in June to the Iranian authorities, will hold a conference call Wednesday with representatives of the countries to analyze Iran's reply.

U.S. officials said Tuesday Iran's response to an incentives offer by world major powers to halt its nuclear program is unacceptable.

The Associated Press quoted unidentified U.S. government officials as saying that the brief one-page letter Iran presented to Solana is a restatement of Tehran's insistence on the right to conduct peaceful nuclear activities rather than a definitive reply to the offer from major world powers to suspend uranium enrichment and reprocessing in exchange for economic and other benefits.

U.S. officials: Iran's response to int'l offer unacceptable

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-06 05:30:49

U.S. officials said on Tuesday Iran's response to an incentives offer is unacceptable. ·U.S. said Iran's replay is a restatement of its insistence to conduct nuclear activities ·Six major countries will discuss the possibility of pursuing further measures against Iran.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) --

U.S. officials said on Tuesday Iran's response to an incentives offer by world major powers to halt its nuclear program is unacceptable.

The Associated Press quoted unidentified U.S. government officials as saying that a brief one-page document Iran presented to European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is a restatement of Tehran's insistence on the right to conduct peaceful nuclear activities rather than a definitive reply to the offer from major world powers to suspend uranium enrichment and reprocessing in exchange for economic and other benefits.

The officials said that due to the unclear response by Iran, senior diplomats from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany will hold a conference call Wednesday to discuss the possibility of pursuing further measures against Iran.

U.S.: Six major countries to impose new sanctions against Iran

www.chinaview.cn 2008-08-05 00:15:02

·U.S. said Monday six powers are considering new sanctions against Iran. ·Iran failed to give a positive response to suspend its controversial nuclear program. ·Spokesman declined to say if sanctions would be pursued if Iran accepted the offer then.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) --

Five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany are considering new sanctions against Iran after the Islamic republic failed to give a positive response to suspend its controversial nuclear program, the State Department said Monday.

"We are disappointed that we have not yet received a response from Iran," State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos told reporters after representatives of the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany spoke by telephone conference over Iran's nuclear issue earlier in the day.

"We agreed in the absence of a clear, positive response from Iran (that) we have no choice but to pursue further measures against Iran," Gallegos said

The telephone conference was held after Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalali told European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana that his country would deliver a written response to the incentives package aimed at getting it to halt sensitive atomic activity on Tuesday, Gallegos said.

The spokesman declined to say if sanctions would be pursued if Iran accepted the offer then.

Solana and Jalali held nuclear talks in Geneva on July 19 over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.

The United States, in a break with past policy, took the unprecedented step of sending Undersecretary of State William Burns to meet Iran's chief negotiator at the talks.

During the one-day meeting, Iran failed to give a clear answer to the package of incentives. However, both Solana and Jalili said the meeting was positive and constructive and promoted understanding of each other's positions. They also agreed to talk again by phone or in person in about two weeks.

The United States accuses Iran of developing secretly nuclear weapons under the cover of civil nuclear program. Iran denies the charges.

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