TEHRAN, Iran - France rejected Iran's request for more talks on Iran's nuclear program, saying Wednesday that Tehran first must suspend its atomic activities. Iran asked for a ministerial-level meeting, but its decision to resume some activities "means that it is not possible for us to meet under satisfactory conditions to pursue these discussions," French Foreign Ministry spokesman Denis Simonneau said in Paris.
U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns supported the idea that Iran should suspend its program and return to talks.
"There is a consensus that Iran should turn back, return to negotiations and suspend its nuclear program," Burns told reporters in Bombay, India, during a South Asia tour. "But that's not the path Iran is on now."
The Bush administration sent Burns to London to coordinate a strategy with Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia on dealing with Iran. Burns conceded differences remained after Tuesday's meeting.
"We reached a consensus on some points ... others need to be worked on," he said.
Burns repeated U.S. demands that the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency refer Iran to the Security Council — where it could face sanctions — for resuming research on centrifuges used in uranium enrichment. Russia and China oppose sending Iran to the Security Council.
Earlier Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister told state radio the nation's chances of being referred to the U.N. Security Council were slim. Manouchehr Mottaki did not give a reason for his view, but emphasized that Iran wanted to restart negotiations with Britain, France and Germany.
The European states, with U.S. backing, were calling for a Feb. 2 meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency to discuss taking action against Iran following Tehran's decision earlier this month to resume small-scale enrichment of uranium — a process that can produce material for atomic reactors or bombs.
A draft resolution for the meeting, read in part to The Associated Press in Vienna, Austria, says Britain is proposing that the 35-nation IAEA refer Iran to the Security Council, but it stops short of calling for punitive measures.
Instead, the draft urges the 15-nation council to press Tehran "to extend full and prompt cooperation to the agency" in its investigation of suspect nuclear activities.
Russia and China are wary of Security Council involvement, and other members of the IAEA board, such as Egypt, also are cautious.
"In view of the overall situation, we regard the possibility of the hauling of Iran's nuclear case to the Security Council to be weak," Mottaki told Iranian radio.
"During the past 10 days we have tried to relay our message to all relevant parties, including the Europeans, about readiness of Iran to negotiate on the production of nuclear fuel."
Mottaki said he hoped European countries would avoid taking steps that could only worsen the current situation — an apparent reference to the talk of sanctions in the United States and Europe.
The United States accuses Iran of trying to secretly build nuclear weapons — a charge Iran denies. Britain, France and Germany have been trying to persuade Iran to import nuclear fuel, but Iran has rejected this.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Israeli security experts was in Moscow on Wednesday to meet with Russia's Security Council and Foreign Ministry in hopes of winning Russian backing for Security Council referral.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated Tuesday that Moscow believes it is too early to talk about sanctions.
The French are merely holding out for the really lucrative oil contracts Iran has.
Here's my solution to the Iran nuke problem. The U.S. should do "nothing." Stop trying to "lead the world" on this. Of course by "do nothing," I mean do the following:
1. Announce that we may reposition our nuclear warheads toward Iranian targets.
2. Forge a defense pact with Israel (if there isn't one already) stating that we will consider any attack on Israel as an attack on the U.S.
3. Follow through if necessary.
The advantage of this plan is that it forces Iran to spend billions on weapons at the expense of its people. And it would have no negative impact on pro-democratic forces in Iran.
Flame away.
For what it does on its knees most of the time...it doesnt need them, right?
Ohhhhh... France is suddenly a bunch of 'bad boys', bunch of cowboys here folks.
I don't expect it to last long, but I'm surprised to see it at all. I guess the RIOTS and Ceriac's plummeting popularity after it for being such a weak wimp (and the 'toughguy' whats-his-name rising) have had some effect.