Bush Team to Consider Policy Shift on Iran

The Financial Times, Guy Dinmore in Washington, Dan Dombey in Brussels and Gareth Smyth in Tehran:

President George W. Bush meets members of his national security team on Thursday to discuss whether to adopt a big shift in US policy that would involve joining Europe in offering inducements to Iran to end enrichment of uranium.

A US official said he did not expect a decision to emerge from the first top-level session that stems directly from the commitment made by Mr Bush to “consider” the proposals put to him by European leaders last month.

Mr Bush's readiness to change course is seen as a vital test of the future of the transatlantic relationship. It also sparked an intense debate in Washington, with hardline conservatives expressing shock that Mr Bush might even contemplate a policy of de facto engagement with Iran even if conducted through the European Union.

However, senior officials argue that the US must form a united front with Europe over Iran. They reason that the US must prepare the diplomatic ground for joint action in the event--which they fully anticipate--that Iran breaks off the negotiations begun in 2003 with France, Germany and the UK and resumes its suspected weapons programme.

Possible incentives include allowing Iran to start talks on accession to the World Trade Organisation, unblocking sales of aircraft and spares, and possibly some kind of security initiative.

In return, the US wants from the EU a firm commitment on what action it would consider if Iran resumed the uranium enrichment development it mostly froze in 2003.

A senior Iranian official in Tehran told the Financial Times that while France was “open and understanding of Iran's position”, Germany was “confused” and the UK was “taking a greater distance over the past 20 days”.

“So far they have given us nothing. And if Iran is not given the minimum, then there is no choice for us but to leave the talks,” he said. “The minimum is a certain number of centrifuges with which we resume enrichment.” ...