Iran Turns Up Heat on Europe Ahead of Talks

Roula Khalaf and Gareth Smyth, The Financial Times:

Iran's top nuclear official has warned that Tehran needed “tangible progress” from a critical meeting with European governments later this month to avoid a breakdown of talks on the controversial nuclear programme.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Hassan Rowhani, head of Iran’s supreme national security council, said Iran would be willing to continue the negotiations for a few more months but only if the UK, France and Germany signalled that Iranian ideas recently put forward could be the basis of the negotiations. READ MORE

Mr Rowhani's comments appeared aimed at raising pressure on the so-called EU3 ahead of the crucial round of talks on April 29, when Iran is expecting a response to compromise ideas presented last month.

Despite his demands, however, Mr Rowhani was cautiously optimistic that progress would be achieved and he described the Iranian proposals as “to some extent, flexible”.

On Tuesday, experts from both sides met to discuss the Iranian proposals and prepare for the higher-level meeting this month. According to western diplomats, Iran has offered to curb the reprocessing of spent fuel, which would limit its ability to acquire the plutonium that could be used to make atomic bombs. But it is insisting on maintaining limited uranium enrichment.

The priority for the EU3, however, has been to convince Iran to accept a complete cessation of uranium enrichment. European diplomats say this was the only “objective guarantee” that Iran's programme would remain peaceful.

European diplomats have said they are giving serious consideration to Iran's ideas but that the package falls far short of the guarantees they are seeking to stop Iran acquiring nuclear arms. Despite reports that France might be willing to adopt a softer approach to Iran, European diplomats said the three governments would continue to speak to Tehran with one voice.

But for talks to continue beyond this month, Iran is looking for an acknowledgement that its ideas could be “a basis” of the negotiations--in other words, a European acceptance that Iran could maintain some enrichment activities.

“The Europeans should tell us whether these ideas can work as the basis for continued negotiations or not. If yes fine. If not, then the negotiations cannot continue,” Mr Rowhani said. “These ideas are the very last possible ideas that we could come up with as compromise options.”

European negotiators will be struggling over the next 10 days to find a formula that would keep the talks going, without compromising on uranium enrichment.

Western diplomats said concessions to Tehran would undermine the support for the talks that the Europeans were now receiving from the US. European governments would also prefer to wait until after the June presidential elections in Iran before bringing the nuclear talks to a conclusion.

Mr Rowhani stopped short of threatening a resumption of uranium enrichment, which Iran agreed to suspend while the talks continued. But a complete breakdown in negotiations would probably end the suspension. It would, however, also send the Iran controversy to the UN Security Council, where Iran could face sanctions.

Mr Rowhani suggested that the European governments had as much incentive to keep the issue out of the UN. “For our dossier to be sent to the Security Council would be a great failure on the part of Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and multilateralism as a whole,” he said. ...

Mr Rowhani said the recent American steps were symbolic. But he cast doubt on the potential for a thaw in relations with Washington. “The key is held in Washington itself. A country which expresses interest to hold talks at the same time cannot be working for regime change. So the US must clearly announce its strategy towards my country,” he said.