U.S. Rebuffs Europe on Iran Nuke Talks

Reuters:

The United States has rebuffed pleas to join a European diplomatic drive to persuade Iran to give up any ambitions to add nuclear bombs to its arsenal, U.S. officials and foreign diplomats say. ...

So far, the Americans show no sign of giving ground.

"It's what they (the Europeans) have always wanted to do," a senior Bush administration official said. "(British Foreign Secretary) Jack (Straw) came over hoping Condi would change our policy and she didn't."

A senior State Department official said ..."But we have not been (formally) asked yet and when we are, we will say, 'What good would it do?"' ...

"The Europeans believe that the U.S. position will evolve in accordance with how Iran lives up to its commitments.

"But frankly there remains skepticism within the administration as to whether Iran is willing or capable of the transformation required," the diplomat said. ...

The stance was a "gamble" that Iran's hard-line rulers would be overthrown before they acquired a bomb, he said. ...