EU To Refer Iran To UN If Nuclear Talks Fail

Dow Jones Newswires, AP:

The European Union will support U.S. calls to bring Tehran before the U.N. Security Council unless it agrees to scrap the technology that can be used to make nuclear arms, according to an E.U. document obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

If Iran does not agree, "We shall have no choice but to support referring Iran 's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council," says the confidential document on the state of negotiations on uranium enrichment between Iran and three E.U. nations: Germany, France and Britain. read more

The document, which is meant to update E.U. countries on the talks, says that - while the negotiations "are moving in the right direction" on some side issues - stark differences persist on the main issue, which is Iran 's enrichment program. "Both sides have strongly held positions on this difficult issue, which remains at the core of negotiations," says the five-page document.

A western diplomat familiar with the talks confirmed that the two sides remained deadlocked. The diplomat said the Europeans are demanding that Iran scrap the technology or agree to a permanent freeze, while Tehran continues to insist that it has the right to enrichment, which can be used either to generate power or make the core of nuclear missiles.

The U.S. has pushed for more than two years to have Iran referred to the Security Council for alleged violations of the Nonproliferation Treaty, arguing nearly two decades of covert activities discovered in 2002 were geared toward making weapons.

However, it has recently agreed to give the Europeans a chance to negotiate the issue with Iran before renewing its demands.

While senior European politicians already have suggested that they would support the U.S. effort if the talks with Iran fail, the unequivocal language contained in the document was among the clearest statements yet that the E.U. would back Washington if the present talks fail.

In an apparent concession meant to reward the firm European line, senior U.S. administration officials on Thursday said President George W. Bush was ready to back European offers of modest economic incentives to Iran if it gives up enrichment programs. ...

Referral to the Security Council could result in economic and diplomatic sanctions against Iran.