Iran: Europe Proposes Nonaggression Pact

Nasser Karimi, The Associated Press:

Iran's top nuclear negotiator said his European counterparts have proposed a guarantee that Iran will not be invaded if Tehran agrees to permanently halt uranium enrichment, the state-run news agency said Sunday. Hasan Rowhani said the proposal is being discussed by Europeans and includes several important points such as "guarantees about Iran's integrity, independence, national sovereignty" and "nonaggression toward Iran," the Islamic Republic News Agency said Sunday.

"If Europe enjoys a serious political will about Iran's nuclear fuel cycle, there will be the possibility of understanding," the agency quoted Rowhani as saying in a letter to outgoing Iranian president Mohammad Khatami.

Iran has been negotiating with France, Britain and Germany, who are acting on behalf of the 25-member European Union.

A senior European diplomat accredited to the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency who is familiar with the talks confirmed that the Europeans were offering the Iranians "security guarantees," but the diplomat said no country could give "a 100 percent guarantee" to another country that it would not be invaded.

The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss the confidential negotiations with the media.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to produce weapons, while Iran insists it aims to generate electricity. The Europeans are trying to persuade Iran to accept economic incentives in exchange for a permanent halt to enrichment.

Iran has shown growing impatience with the negotiations, insisting its suspension _ in place since November _ is not permanent.

Iran could resume nuclear conversion and enrichment at any time, Rowhani said in his letter. In the case of military attack on Iran's scattered nuclear facilities, the country could continue both tasks without any delay or fear of damage, he said.

Meanwhile, Iran's top officials were to meet Sunday evening for a final decision on when to resume work at a reprocessing center in Isfahan, said Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman for Iran's powerful Supreme National Security Council.

"Europe has only a few hours, up to when the council meets, for the proposal. If it does not arrive by that time, the council will discuss breaking the ice" on Iran's stalled nuclear program, Agha Mohammadi told state-run radio.

Other incentives offered by European negotiators include promoting political and security cooperation between Iran and Europe, considering Iran as a chief source of energy for Europe, and support for Iran's membership in the World Trade Organization, Rowhani's letter stated.

Earlier Sunday, Iran threatened to resume its nuclear program and hoped to do so under the watch of the IAEA.

"Today or tomorrow we will send a letter to the IAEA about resumption of activity in the Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi. "We would like to unseal the equipment and carry on the activity under the IAEA."

Asefi said IAEA inspectors already were in Tehran, which means a short flight to the central Iranian city of Isfahan.

"Since our nuclear policy is transparent and legal, we will start activity upon delivering the letter to the IAEA, with the inspectors in attendance," Asefi said.

Later Sunday, Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the Vienna, Austria-based IAEA, told the AP the agency had not received any official notification from Iran about resumption of activity at the Isfahan facility.

Once the Isfahan plant resumes work, Asefi said Tehran no longer will discuss halting activities there.

Britain warned Iran to honor agreements on its nuclear program, with a Foreign Office spokesman saying a resumption of work at the uranium reprocessing center "would be an unnecessary and damaging step."

"Should the Iranians persist, we will as a first step consult urgently with our partners on the board of the IAEA," the spokesman said on condition of anonymity, according to policy. READ MORE

Rowhani said it appeared that European negotiators were trying to draw out their talks with Tehran until September, when the incoming Iranian administration is expected to announce its nuclear policies.

On Saturday, Iran rejected a request from European negotiators to postpone by a week the release of new European proposals for resolving the nuclear dispute.

France, Britain and Germany had been expected to present the proposals to Iran by the beginning of August but requested a delay until Aug. 7.

The proposals are part of an agreement reached in May under which Iran would continue its suspension of nuclear activities in return for a comprehensive European plan for resolving the nuclear dispute.

Khatami, who will be replaced Aug. 6 by ultraconservative president-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said Wednesday that Iran would resume some suspended activities, with or without European consent.

Iran has said it will not resume the more controversial step of feeding the gas into centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, which can be used either as nuclear energy fuel or as the core of a weapon.