US fires warning shot over Iran nuclear talks

Daniel Dombey, Gareth Smyth and Stephen Fidler, Financial Times:

The US warned European ministers yesterday to stand firm in negotiations with Iran and reject any proposal that could allow the partial resumption of Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

The warning, given as the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK prepared to meet Iranian negotiators in Geneva today, underlines the risk that the talks might break up or lead to increased transatlantic tension.

"The support of the US [for the negotiations] is based on the cessation and dismantlement of all sensitive nuclear . . . activities," Nicholas Burns, US undersecretary of state, told the FT after a meeting with senior diplomats from the EU3 countries. READ MORE

While the US suspects Iran of seeking to develop nuclear weapons, Tehran insists its programme is peaceful. "We believe that it's imperative that Iran not engage in any aspect of nuclear fuel cycle activity, including conversion," Mr Burns added.

"Conversion" - the production of uranium hexafluoride gas - is at the heart of today's talks. It is an important initial step in the nuclear process, but one that is not enough to produce weapons grade material.

Iran's latest suggestion would allow the Islamic republic to begin conversion work after a final deal, and ship the material to Russia for further processing.

Cyrus Nasseri, a senior Iranian negotiator, confirmed at the weekend that Iran was considering such a "Russian proposal", but only as a temporary measure.

European diplomats in Tehran said the EU3 wanted to keep the process going until at least after Iran's presidential election on June 17.

One European diplomat in Tehran warned that Europe was "not ready to explicitly accept the so-called Russian proposal".

Indeed, some European officials believe it would be impossible to announce even that the EU was formally considering the proposal, in the light of US warnings that the process of conversion would give Iran access to too much technical and scientific knowledge.

Some western diplomats believe the best Europe can hope for today is not an agreement, but merely an undertaking to keep the talks going.

After preparatory talks in Brussels yesterday, Hossein Mousavian, an Iranian negotiator, said the chance for success in today's meeting was "50-50".