A Daily Briefing on Iran: U.S. to Back Incentives For Iran to Shift Course

Carla Anne Robbins, The Wall Street Journal:

The U.S. is preparing to support limited incentives for Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions -- including talks on possible World Trade Organization membership -- once Washington receives an explicit European pledge to punish Tehran if it resumes nuclear-related activities, U.S. and European officials said.

At Washington's insistence, Britain, France and Germany, the so-called EU-3, have drafted a letter outlining the current status of their negotiations with Tehran and stating that they will have no choice but to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council should it resume its efforts to enrich uranium, usable for nuclear fuel or a nuclear bomb. read more

European leaders have made that commitment in private meetings with President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. But they have been more oblique in public statements for fear of scuttling already difficult negotiations with Tehran aimed at blocking its nuclear efforts.

Yesterday European officials were still discussing the final wording of the letter, which is addressed to the European Union presidency. Diplomats said it could be distributed to all the EU members and made public as early as today.

Following its release, the Bush administration -- in a choreographed sequence -- is expected to signal that it is dropping its objections to Iran's starting talks to enter the WTO and will permit the Europeans to sell spare aircraft parts with U.S. parts to Tehran.

Ms. Rice yesterday hinted that a deal was close, telling reporters, "I think we are really coming to a common view [with the Europeans] of how to proceed."

U.S. officials said last week that Mr. Bush was ready to move on the incentives. But last-minute opposition from some officials, most notably Vice President Dick Cheney, led the administration to seek a clearer pledge from the Europeans, officials said.

Some U.S. officials remain skeptical that the Europeans -- even if they agreed to a referral to the Security Council -- would accept tough punishments for Iran such as U.N.-imposed economic sanctions or possibly military action. But White House and State Department officials said the concessions are very limited and intended to shield the U.S. from any blame should the talks fail.

The EU-3 have been pressing Iran since the fall of 2003 to dismantle its program to enrich uranium, holding out the offer of improved trade and diplomatic relations. They have been less clear on what punishments they would impose should Iran refuse. The U.S. has been pushing for at least as long to refer Iran's misbehaviors to the Security Council. ...

The Europeans have been pushing the WTO issue with Washington for several months, arguing that it was more than just a carrot. The sort of reforms Iran would need to make to win admission to the organization, they said, could shake the political foundations of the Iranian regime. Nevertheless, Mr. Bush has been hesitant to make any moves that could be seen as legitimizing Tehran's autocratic leadership.

The EU-3 letter is also expected to call on Tehran to improve its human-rights performance, another area of concern for Washington, and to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has been ferreting out Iran's nuclear efforts and monitoring the suspension of its enrichment program.