Iran Pledges to Halt Work on Bomb
The Associated Press|
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran made Europe an offer Tuesday: Stop pressuring us on nuclear energy and we'll guarantee not to make a bomb. European and U.S. governments were discussing an alternate proposal -- to buy Iran out of its nuclear ambitions. Teheran's offer was not new, but given UN pressure on Iran to stop work on enriching uranium and a bill in parliament aimed at intensify such work, it came at a vital moment. "The time has come for Europe to take a step forward and suggest that our legitimate right for complete use of nuclear energy is recognized [in return for] assurances that our program will not be diverted toward weapons," Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said. The offer is unlikely, however, to ease international pressure on Iran. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran was already obliged by the International Atomic Energy Agency to stop uranium enrichment. |