Powers poised for next Iranian move
Wednesday, 18 Jun 2008 12:32
Negotiators from world's powers await Iranian response to latest set of incentives to halt uranium enrichment programme
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Negotiators from the world's powers are waiting for
Iran to respond to the latest set of incentives to halt its uranium enrichment programme.
Tehran is expected to reject the package however after dubbing its nuclear activities as a "red line".
Earlier this week Gordon Brown appeared at a Downing Street press conference with George Bush to warn Iran over a new raft of economic and political sanctions.
But the prime minister's remarks have caused confusion in diplomatic circles after he gave the impression the assets of Iran's Bank Melli would be frozen; prompting excitement among the travelling American journalists.
But it has emerged the
European Union announced the sanctions weeks ago, although they have not yet been put in place.
A UK government source told
inthenews.co.uk steps would be taken in the coming days to act on Mr Brown's 'announcement'.
The prime minister's tone also appeared at odds with correspondence, signed by Condoleezza Rice, David Miliband and the foreign ministers of China, France, Germany and Russia, to Iran's foreign chief Manuchehr Mottaki.
The formal offer of incentives, seen in full by
inthenews.co.uk, in exchange for Tehran halting its enrichment programme is conciliatory in tone and calls for direct talks between all parties.
As well as reasserting Iran's right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes it offers technical and financial assistance for the construction of advanced light water reactors.
Such an agreement would allow Iran to maintain centrifuge research and an accompanying development programme while it suspends enrichment.
The document also reaffirms the obligation of United Nations member states not to use the threat of force against Iran and offers cooperation on Afghanistan, border reinforcement, the return of refugees and help with anti-narcotics programmes.
On Wednesday Mr Mottaki or Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to officially reject the latest set of incentives, leaving negotiators from the UN, US, EU, Russia and China with the decision on whether to increase sanctions and pressure on the
Middle Eastern state.