German Government: Diplomacy Only Solution To Iran Standoff

Dow Jones Newswires:

The German government insisted that only a negotiated solution can resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, even after the International Atomic Energy Authority said Tehran continues to defy the U.N. "We maintain that the only solution is a diplomatic one," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. READ MORE

Crucial now is showing "international unity" so that Iran understands how damaging isolation could be, he said.

IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei reported Friday that Iran continued to rebuff the agency's efforts to get answers to questions linked to suspicions Iran was attempting to make nuclear arms.

Many Western countries fear Iran is seeking a nuclear bomb, though Tehran says it only wants to build civilian power plants. Enrichment can be used both to generate fuel or make the fissile core of nuclear weapons.

The Security Council had set Friday as a deadline for Iran to cease its nuclear activities.