Week in Review

DoctorZin provides a review of this past week's [5/07/06 - 5/13/06] major news events regarding Iran. (The reports are listed in chronological order, not by importance) READ MORE

Iran's Nuclear Program & The UN Security Council.

• IranMania reported that German
  
• Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the ongoing row over Iran's nuclear program have reached a "decisive phase."
• Yahoo News reported that the Iranian parliament threatened to force the government to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the West continues pressuring Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment.
• Yahoo News reported that President Bush said the world community should take Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's threats concerning both its nuclear program and Israel "very seriously."
• MSNBC.com reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry released a terse statement that Sergey Lavrov’s phone conversation with Condoleezza Rice “focused, among other issues, on the search for a diplomatic solution of the Iranian nuclear problem.”
• The Financial Times reported that the US is attempting to persuade European governments, banks and companies to isolate the Iranian government by engaging in de facto financial sanctions.
• The Independent reported that Russia will seek the removal of the core of a UK-sponsored draft United Nations resolution on Iran because it fears that it could pave the way to unilateral military action to curb the Iranian nuclear program.
• Reuters reported that UK Prime Minister Tony Blair ruled out an invasion of Iran and said any suggestion of a nuclear strike on the country was "absolutely absurd".
• The Financial Times reported that Margaret Beckett, the new UK foreign secretary flew to New York Monday for United Nations talks on Iran.
• The New York Sun reported that ambassador John Bolton, responding to the difficulty the UNSC is having in drafting a new resolution on Iran, said: "We're not going to drop it," he said, adding that if Russia and China fail to agree, a vote might be forced before the end of the week.
• The New York Times reported that the foreign ministers of major powers failed to come up with a joint strategy for dealing with Iran. A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: ``I think the prospects for an agreement this week are not substantially good.'' ``Clearly we had a ways to go.''
• Reuters reported that Western nations on the UNSC had planned to offer the package after the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution demanding that Iran halt nuclear activities. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said if Iran cooperated it could be rewarded with an "ambitious package -- in the domain of civilian nuclear energy, in the domain of trade, in the domain of technology and -- why not-- in the security domain."
• Chron.com reported that Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said that Tehran had no intention of withdrawing from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. He added: "The additional protocol is one thing and the NPT is another."
• Rooz Online reported that while the UNSC has not reached a consensus on the next step on Iran, they said the Chinese foreign minister said that it would not veto a UN Security Resolution, while his Russian counterpart told Iran’s foreign minister Manoutchehr Mottaki, “We have not promised to veto sanctions against Iran.”
• The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. and its allies will slow their push for U.N. Security Council action against Iran and develop a new list of incentives and punishments. They said it may be the only way to get Russia and China to agree to impose sanctions should Iran continue to defy the council.
• CNN.com reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a veiled warning to the United States not to take any military action against Iran.
• Rooz Online reported that Ali Larijani who is the responsible official for the nuclear talks and issue in Iran said the government sees the Russian proposal (to take up the responsibility of enriching uranium on behalf of Iran on their soil) as a possible solution to the problem. He also made it clear that even if that proposal went ahead, Iran would not stop its own enrichment activities.
• Peoples Daily Online reported that the head of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency Sergei Kiriyenko said there is no need to hold talks with Iran on a joint venture to enrich uranium.
• ABC News reported that Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said he was pleased the U.N. Security Council was holding off from sanctions against Iran and added: "We need compromises from both sides."
• The Financial Times reported that Iran warned that proposals being prepared by European governments to resolve the nuclear dispute must allow Tehran to continue uranium enrichment for “research and development“.
• Reuters reported that U.N. inspectors have discovered new traces of highly-enriched uranium on nuclear equipment in Iran.
• Reuters reported that Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns warned Iran and other key players that "we can't be captive to endless discussions in the (U.N.) Security Council."
• IranMania reported that French President Jacques Chirac said Europe should seek the imposition of UN Security Council decisions on Iran over Tehran's refusal to give up its controversial nuclear program.
• Times of India reported that Iran for the first time criticized Russia for the delay in completing their joint nuclear power plant.
• MosNews then reported that Tehran and Moscow have finalized legal and technical preparations for Russian production and delivery of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr power plant.
• The Financial Times reported that another key objective of the Iranian president in the nuclear crisis is to widen his appeal in the Muslim world.
• The Times Online reported that inspectors from the IAEA are asking Iranian officials for samples of machinery taken from a nuclear site bulldozed in 2004 to confirm whether it bears traces of bomb-grade uranium. The report added: a retired Pakistani army general revealed evidence of the mullahs’ long-held desire to procure a nuclear bomb.
• Reuters reported that the European Union will insist on Monday that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment despite Tehran's demand that some be allowed for research goals.
• CNN.com reported that Iran's foreign minister told European states not to repeat the mistake of forcing an end to talks on Tehran's nuclear program by demanding it stop uranium enrichment.
• The Washington Post reported that Iran's president said he was willing to hold talks over his country's disputed nuclear program but not with countries that hold "bombs over our head."
• The Telegraph reported that US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, traded barbs during bad-tempered talks at a foreign ministers' summit in New York. The row reflects deepening rifts between the United States and Russia. An amazing read.
  

Iran's President sends a letter to Bush... about Islam not nukes.

• MyWay.com reported that Iran's leader had written to President Bush proposing "new solutions" to their differences in the first letter from an Iranian head of state to an American president in 27 years.
• Reuters reported that U.S. intelligence chief John Negroponte said a letter Iran sent to President George W. Bush over its nuclear ambitions may have been timed to influence a UN Security Council debate on Iran.
• DEBKAfile claimed that Iranian sources revealed the contents of - not one but two - letters Iran’s Ahmadinejad has sent to President Bush. The letter takes a high moral tone and emphasizes the importance of Islam to mankind and the world and does not offer concessions.
• Voice of America reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has dismissed Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's surprise letter to President Bush, saying the letter does not address any issues of U.S. concern. She said the letter is about 18 pages long and talks about history, philosophy, and religion.
• The CFR posted the full text of Iranian President Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush.
• Mehran Riazaty cited Iranian press reports comparing Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush to the Prophet Mohammad's letters to a number of neighboring monarchs and rulers inviting them to Islam.
• Reuters reported that President George W. Bush said that a letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad this week did not answer the key question of when Tehran would abandon its nuclear program.
• Amir Taheri, The New York Post examined the ancient and recent history behind the letter Ahmadinejad wrote to President Bush and warned the letter contains a crucial message: The present regime in Iran is the enemy of the current international system and is determined to undermine and, if possible, destroy it.
• WorldNetDaily reported that some Middle East observers believe Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush could be a precursor to war, based on a traditional Muslim pattern of offering acceptance of Islam before establishing it by force.
• The New York Sun reported that President Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush is in fact a declaration of war. The key sentence in the letter is the closing salutation. It is left untranslated and rendered as "Vasalam Ala Man Ataba'al hoda." What this means is "Peace only unto those who follow the true path." It is a phrase with historical significance in Islam.
• Rooz Online reported that just four days after Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the US, groups ranging the Iranian political spectrum have come out in criticism of the president’s initiative.
• Mehran Riazaty, an Iran Analyst, reported that the Iranian press is reporting that Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush is sign of return of Imam Mahdi.
• The New York Times provided striking parallels between Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's letter to Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
  

Iranians students clashing with regime over democracy.

• Iran Press News reported that a seminar on democracy and daily life that was organized by the association of social sciences faculty of school of Social Sciences of Tehran University has been cancelled under pressure and threats from the ministry of intelligence and security.
• Iran Press News reported that subsequent to the cancellation of the permit for the Democracy and Daily life seminar university students gathered for a peaceful protest.
• Iran Press News reported that students from the faculty of social sciences while gathering at the main entrance of Tehran University called for other students from the other schools of Tehran University campus to join them. The disciplinary guards who had mobilized on the university grounds assaulted and severely beat students.
• Radio Free Europe reported that some 400 students protested in front of a Tehran university on May 2 to protest the expulsion of a student by the country's Education Ministry for "general and ideological competence."
  

The International Workers Day Demonstrations in Tehran. An update.

• Iran Press News reported that nine of the leading Iranian women activists who attended the International Women's Day gathering in Tehran said they had officially filed a complaint with the public prosecutor's office.
  

Ahmadinejad's latest.

• Rooz Online reported that Ahmadinejad had instructed the governor of the Central Bank to transfer the country’s foreign exchange deposits into the personal accounts of selected trusted individuals because the private accounts would be immune from the problems the state has with foreign governments. Sheibani has not implemented the presidential instructions.
  

Iranian unity weakening?

• Radio Free Europe reported that former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami warned against what he called "organized radicalism" in Iran.
• The Washington Post reported the divide inside of Iran between the apocalyptic vision of Ahmadinejad's own spiritual adviser, Ayatollah Taqi Mesbah-Yazdi who recently suggested that future elections were superfluous because a true Islamic government had arisen and those that long for real change inside of Iran.
  

Ahmadinejad tries to score points with Iranian women.

• Yahoo News reported that Iran's supreme leader has vetoed an order by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to end a 26-year-old ban on allowing women in stadiums for major sporting events.
  

Iran's Dissidents.

• Rooz Online reported that Iranian intellectual Jahanbegloo is being kept at ward 209 of Evin and according to press accounts he has already provided tens of pages of confessions. Human Rights Watch said it is likely that he has been subjected to torture and forced to provide fake confessions.
  

Unrest inside of Iran.

• Forbes.com reported an explosion injured several people Monday in the governor's office in Kermanshah, a city with a large Kurdish population in southwestern Iran.
• SMCCDI reported that a senior Islamist militia commander was killed, on Saturday, by 'unknown assailants.'
• Rooz Online published a telephone conversation with Abdol-Malek Rigi, the commander of the armed group Jondollah which has killed Iranian military personnel and even officials or taken them hostage.
• Iran Press News reported that revolutionary guard Hassan Mohammadpour, deputy commander of the disciplinary forces from the town of Gorgan, Iran was shot and killed.
• Iran Press News reported that the Iranian workers of Gilan clothing industries gathered in front of the Gilan department of industries to protest 10 months of non-receipt of their wages.
• Iran Press News reported that one hundred employed workers from the Iranian Tide Water and Kaveh companies at the Anzali shipping protested in front of the governor's office of the province of Gilan were arrested and sent to prison.
  

Human Rights and Freedom of the Press in Iran.

• Scotsman reported that since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power last June, life for Iran's 25,000 Jews has become even more precarious.
• Iran Press News reported the arrest of more political activists in Azerbaijan.
• Rooz Online reported that the representative of the world Bahai's at the United Nations will file a complaint to the UN over an Iranian government letter instructing that all government agencies in Iran collect the names of all Baha'is in Iran and control their activities.
• Iran Press News reported that a university student was suspended for drawing a cartoon of Ahmadinejad.
• Nicole Sadighi asked for urgent action on behalf of Valiyollah-Fiez Mahdavi who is in imminent danger of execution. Plus the transcribed text of his last message.
• Radio Free Europe reported that Iranian journalists are complaining over the Iranian government's increased pressure and tighter media restrictions. A growing number of journalists have been jailed and their publications have been suspended.
  

Rumors of War.

• The Guardian argued that Jack Straw's fate was sealed when the White House called Mr Blair and asked why the foreign secretary kept saying a military option against Iran was inconceivable.
• The Raw Story believes that the US may be preparing for a military strike on Iran, as military assets in key positions are approaching readiness. They think so.
  

Support for Internal Regime Change in Iran.

• Eli Lake, The New York Sun reported on the recent escape of Amir Abbas Fakhravar and his relationship with Richard Perle and their appeal to the world to support the cause of Iranian freedom.
• The Telegraph reported that the world should not underestimate the weakness of Iran's theocracy since the Iranian people are prepared to put up with economic sanctions, including an oil embargo, and even military strikes, if they led to its overthrow.
• Helle Dale, Heritage Foundation reported that now is the time to engage the Iranian people, one of the most pro-American in the Middle East. This is one area where U.S. public diplomacy may have promising contributions to make.
  

Iran's economy in serious trouble.

• Ken Timmerman, Iran.org reported that in a sign that the population lacked confidence in the future of the regime, Iranians are converting bank deposits into Gold coins.
• SeattlePI reported that Iran is increasingly finding itself in economic limbo as the international community debates how to respond to Tehran's refusal to stop enriching uranium.
  

Iran's Troublemaking in Iraq.

• The Times reported that Iran is exploiting the struggle for power among Iraq's Shia militias.
• InsideBayArea reported that the United States has built or renovated nearly 260 forts along Iraq's borders and border patrols recently captured several suspected Iranian intelligence agents and found supplies being smuggled into Iraq for making the insurgents deadliest weapon: roadside bombs.
• Telegraph reported that the British Army now believes that the Lynx helicopter shot down over central Basra at the weekend was most probably hit by a surface-to-air missile, obtained possibly from neighboring Iran.
• World Peace Herald reported that a "staggeringly high" proportion of foreign jihadis arrested in Iraq are Iranian. They noted that 1,577 of the 1,972 jihadis arrested since last May were Iranians.
• Zaman reported that in response to the Iranian military attack inside of Iraq against Kurdish forces, the US Army in Iraq is claimed to have increased the military build up of US troops on the Iranian border.
• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had provided the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq heavy weapons including the Strela-type SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles after al-Zarqawi traveled to Iran and met with Iranian officials.
  

Iran vs. Israel.

• The Daily Star reported that while the Iranian regime and Hamas are currently upgrading their alliance, the alliance with Iran will cost Hamas the support of other Sunni nations.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday in an interview said "the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map."
• The Daily Times reported that an unnamed Israeli official said: Israel will strike Iran’s nuclear facilities in the next “month or two or three.”
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Brig.-Gen Yosef Kuperwasser, head of the IDF Military Intelligence's research division said: "Iran is interested not only in turning into a superpower, but also in changing the world order."
• Khaleej Times Online reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Israel “one day will vanish.” But he has also said the same thing about the US. Photo.
• The Jerusalem Post reportedthat Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres said that if Teheran was to achieve nuclear capabilities, it would make its way to terrorist organizations.
  

US/Iran talks?

• Bloomberg reported that Iran rejected a call by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan for the U.S. to hold direct talks with the Islamic Republic about its nuclear program.
• Yahoo News reported that former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called for direct talks with Iran saying: "The last thing we need is to invade another country."
• The Wall Street Journal reported that while the Bush Administration has been under mounting pressure to engage in face-to-face talks with the Iranians the WSJ has deep doubts about this course because every previous U.S. attempt at engagement was spurned and taken as a sign of weakness.
• FOX News reported that U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the United States to join with Europe to resume talks with Iran and to "lower the rhetoric."
• Peoples Daily Online reported that the United States rejected UN chief Kofi Annan's call for direct talks over nuclear issues with Iran.
• The Boston Herald, in an editorial, argued that the White House was correct to give that kooky letter from Iran’s president the brush-off and despite recent calls for "direct talks" with Iran; “Engaging” just will just encourage them to think they have the United States on the run.
  

Iran and the International community.

• Reuters reported that a group of Iranian and German businesspeople have been arrested on suspicion of helping Iran try to get technology useable in war drones and Czech fighter planes.
• The Jerusalem Post reported that Iran has appointed an ambassador to Iraq for the first time in more than 20 years.
• Iran Press News reported that the French oil company Total, which gained extensive profits in Iran, is under investigation for allegedly bribing the Rafsanjani family over the years in order to land the best possible contracts.
• Yahoo News reported that Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities, and he in effect advised them to take a hostage — Israel. He also claimed: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto once told him the Iranians offered more than $4 billion for the technology.
• The Wall Street Journal examined why is Indonesia's moderate president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, so keen to cuddle with Iran's radical cleric, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?
  

Iranian regime concerned over dismissal of Jack Straw.

• Iran Press News reported that the Iranian regime is concerned over the dismissal of Jack Straw as the UK foreign minister.
• Rooz Online reported that a leading Iranian MP claimed that those in the US and Britain who opposed attacking Iran were being removed from office.
• The Guardian argued that Jack Straw's fate was sealed when the White House called Mr Blair and asked why the foreign secretary kept saying a military option against Iran was inconceivable.
  

The US Congress.

• IranMania reported that top opposition senators urged President George W Bush to put Iran-Russia ties, including an arms sale, on the agenda at the Group of Eight summit in St Petersburg in July.
  

Must Read reports.

• Congressman Jim Saxton, The Washington Times argued that given Iran's huge oil and gas resources, Iran has no need for its much more costly nuclear program. However, support for terrorism and economic mismanagement have damaged oil and gas development in Iran.
• Charles Krauthammer, The Chicago Tribune wrote that for the first time in 1,871 years there are once again more Jews living in Israel than anywhere in the world and given that Iran is seeking the nuclear bomb it makes Israel is a tempting target for those who would finish Hitler's work.
• The New York Times reported that Iranian exiles in 'Tehrangeles' are split on how the U.S. should sway Iran.
• FOX News released the finds from a new poll in which 85 percent of Americans say they do not trust Iran to tell the truth about their nuclear technology program.
• Amil Imani, The Persian Mirror said Noble Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi, instead of becoming the voice of the voiceless and using her Noble status to speak about the atrocities of the Islamic Republic has used her platform to speak against the war on terror, and to criticize the United States.
• Leon Aron, Yevgeny Bai, American Enterprise Institute in an interview said the G8 Summit could be canceled if the West forms a united front on Iran, while Russia refuses to cooperate. He added: Moscow is praying the conflict doesn't get out of control before the summit.
• Iran Press News reported that a German newspaper revealed that Tehran's regime had dispatched 12 terrorists to Denmark sent to expressly kill a Danish cartoonist responsible for the Mohammad cartoon.
• ET, A View from Iran published a few useful tips and tricks for negotiating with Iranians. A must read for our policy makers.
• Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post finds it worrisome that the day after Ahmadinejad wrote his war letter to Bush, Rice was meeting with her associates figuring out a way to give the Hamas-led Palestinians millions of dollars of US taxpayers' money, in spite of the fact that Hamas has agreed act as Teheran's client.
  

The Experts.

• Amir Taheri, Asharq Alawsat published a book review of: IRAN TODAY.
• Amir Taheri, The Wall Street Journal examined the various "engagement" strategies used by past Presidents and what we can learn from them in dealing with Iran.
• Amir Taheri, The New York Post reported on the recent nervous statements by Arab Gulf leaders over Iran.
• Amir Taheri, The New York Post examined the ancient and recent history behind the letter Ahmadinejad wrote to President Bush and warned the letter contains a crucial message: The present regime in Iran is the enemy of the current international system and is determined to undermine and, if possible, destroy it.
• Amir Taheri, Asharq Alawsat argued why the world should take Ahmadinejad seriously. Ahmadinejad is convinced that the Western and Khomeinist models of the world are heading for a “final showdown” and that his model will emerge as the winner.
• Amir Taheri, Arab News suggests that the critical question that needs to be considered by our policy makers is what is the starting point for diplomacy with Iran's leaders? It isn't more carrots.
• Kenneth R. Timmerman, News Max reported that a French court provided fascinating insight into the extraordinary intelligence war under way.
• SMCCDI reported that approximately 12 Millions dollars were spent, by the Islamic regime's intelligence, in order to show an Indonesian support for Ahmadinejad.
  

Photos, cartoons and videos.

• Cox & Forkum published a cartoon: From Iran With Hate.
• Rooz Online published another cartoon: Ahmadinejad is dreaming.
• Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi translated a cartoon: Let them eat yellow cake!
• Littlebird.com published a cartoon: Iran: tear down that wall!
  

The Quote of the Week.

Khaleej Times Online reported that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said of Israel:

“This regime one day will vanish.”

Sunday's Daily Briefing on Iran

DoctorZin reports, 5.14.2006:

IAEA presses hard on Iran and Pakistani General revealed evidence Iran wants the bomb.

• The Times Online reported that inspectors from the IAEA are asking Iranian officials for samples of machinery taken from a nuclear site bulldozed in 2004 to confirm whether it bears traces of bomb-grade uranium. The report added: a retired Pakistani army general revealed evidence of the mullahs’ long-held desire to procure a nuclear bomb.

EU to Iran: Stop!

• Reuters reported that the European Union will insist on Monday that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment despite Tehran's demand that some be allowed for research goals.

Iran to EU: No!

• CNN.com reported that Iran's foreign minister told European states not to repeat the mistake of forcing an end to talks on Tehran's nuclear program by demanding it stop uranium enrichment.

US to Koffi: No!

• Peoples Daily Online reported that the United States rejected UN chief Kofi Annan's call for direct talks over nuclear issues with Iran.

Ahmadinejad: No "talks" without a taking military action against Iran off the table.

• The Washington Post reported that Iran's president said he was willing to hold talks over his country's disputed nuclear program but not with countries that hold "bombs over our head."
  

Iran's letter to Bush a sign of "the end times?"

• Mehran Riazaty, an Iran Analyst, reported that the Iranian press is reporting that Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush is sign of return of Imam Mahdi.

The inside story of Condi's "battle" with Lavrov in NYC meeting on Iran.

• The Telegraph reported that US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, traded barbs during bad-tempered talks at a foreign ministers' summit in New York. The row reflects deepening rifts between the United States and Russia. An amazing read.

Iran gives Al Qaeda surface to air missiles.

• Iran Focus reported that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had provided the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq heavy weapons including the Strela-type SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles after al-Zarqawi traveled to Iran and met with Iranian officials.

Here are a few other news items you may have missed.

• Caroline Glick, The Jerusalem Post finds it worrisome that the day after Ahmadinejad wrote his war letter to Bush, Rice was meeting with her associates figuring out a way to give the Hamas-led Palestinians millions of dollars of US taxpayers' money, in spite of the fact that Hamas has agreed act as Teheran's client.
• The New York Times provided striking parallels between Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's letter to Mikhail S. Gorbachev.
• The Boston Herald, in an editorial, argued that the White House was correct to give that kooky letter from Iran’s president the brush-off and despite recent calls for "direct talks" with Iran; “Engaging” just will just encourage them to think they have the United States on the run.
• SeattlePI reported that Iran is increasingly finding itself in economic limbo as the international community debates how to respond to Tehran's refusal to stop enriching uranium.
• SMCCDI reported that approximately 12 Millions dollars were spent, by the Islamic regime's intelligence, in order to show an Indonesian support for Ahmadinejad.

Tags: iran, news, iraq, nuclear, military,

Suspicion grows on Iran’s uranium

Tom Walker, The Times Online:

INSPECTORS from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are asking Iranian officials for samples of machinery taken from a nuclear site bulldozed in 2004 to confirm whether it bears traces of bomb-grade uranium.

Diplomats close to the IAEA in Vienna said yesterday that they want to establish whether the Physics Research Centre at Lavizan, northeast of Tehran, could have been involved in an illicit weapons programme.

The IAEA request follows a preliminary finding that one piece of equipment from the site does have traces of highly enriched uranium.

The latest development is bound to intensify suspicions in America and other western countries that Iran may be closer to a nuclear bomb than the IAEA realises. But the traces of uranium could be the result of inadvertent contamination of hardware obtained by Iran from abroad.

The government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be wiped from the map, continues to insist that all its nuclear equipment is destined only for peaceful power-generation purposes.

An IAEA team negotiating with Iranian officials wants to inspect specified machines and equipment from Lavizan.

“It’s painstaking work and we’ve got to get these things right,” said a Vienna-based official. “You’re looking at parts per trillion in some of these tests — it’s very hard to know the significance and we’re requesting further sampling.”

Similar IAEA tests in the past had proved that the highly enriched uranium-235 isotope on other equipment had originated in Pakistan, he said. This was believed to have come to Iran through the proliferation network of the disgraced A Q Khan, the “father” of Pakistan’s nuclear bomb.

As negotiators from Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia and China prepare for talks at the Foreign Office in London tomorrow about offering new incentives to persuade Iran to abandon its enrichment programme, a retired Pakistani army general revealed evidence of the mullahs’ long-held desire to procure a nuclear bomb.

General Mirza Aslam Beg described an Iranian visit to Islamabad in 1990, when he was chief of staff. “They didn’t want the technology,” he said. “They asked: ‘Can we have a bomb?’ My answer was by all means you can have it but you must make it yourself. Nobody gave it to us.” READ MORE

He said that last January Iranian officers asked him what they could do to head off a military strike on their nuclear facilities and he advised them to make it clear that Iran’s response would be to attack Israel.

Ahmadinejad continued to seek international support on his nuclear stance yesterday at an Islamic summit in Indonesia. He lobbied fellow leaders and claimed he was willing to negotiate with anyone except Israel, but not under threat of force.

Ignore Iran’s tricks

Boston Herald: Editorial

The White House was correct to give that kooky letter from Iran’s president the brush-off.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s letter contained not a word about Iran’s nuclear program, the concern of all the world’s major countries and most of Iran’s neighbors - a concern that Ahmadinejad later waved away as a “big lie” on the part of the United States.

Instead, the letter seemed aimed at an internal Iranian audience, to which Ahmadinejad can play by appearing to confront the Great Satan one-on-one.
A one-on-one engagement with Iran would, of course, be exactly the wrong tactic. This regime has been making war on our country since it held the 52 embassy hostages for 444 days in 1979-1980. Today it supplies weapons to Shiite militias in the south of Iraq, weapons that often end up being used against American troops. “Engaging” the mullahs solo just encourages them to think they have the United States on the run. READ MORE

Unfortunately, some people don’t understand this. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has called for direct talks, as have German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President Carter and Sandy Berger, President Clinton’s national security adviser.

Right now, the United Nations Security Council is exactly the place for the Iran problem, disappointing though it is that the five permanent members of the council cannot agree on what to demand of Iran and are cooking up a new package of “carrots” and “sticks.” That approach got nowhere for Britain, France and Germany in their effort to talk Iran out of trying to build a bomb. Now the council has given Iran another two weeks to ponder whether it really, really wants to develop its own nuclear enrichment capabilities. Yep, two weeks should make a real difference!
What is needed is the “good cop/bad cop” approach. Iran must fear an unrestrained “bad cop” - Uncle Sam. That’s how the hostage issue was resolved: Iran waited literally until the last minute of Carter’s presidency because it feared what the incoming Reagan administration would do (a lesson apparently lost on President Reagan himself in the mid-1980s when he started shipping arms to Iran in an attempt to free hostages grabbed by Iran’s terrorist clients).

For “good cop,” we nominate German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has been notably blunt with Iran - that is, if she can get that foreign minister from the opposition party to keep quiet.

Millions spent to show Indonesian support for Ahmadinejad

SMCCDI (Information Service):

Millions of dollars have been spent, by the Islamic regime's intelligence, in order to show an Indonesian support for Ahmadinejad, at the occasion of his trip to this country. The spent sum, estimated at over 12 millions of dollars, was in addition to the lucrative governmental contracts and the Islamic regime's promise of building a costly oil refinery in this country. READ MORE

This propaganda money, along with hundreds of shipped posters of Ahmadinejad and various favorable placards for various demonstrations, were distributed via some of the Indonesian Islamic centers and working circles which are on the payroll of the Islamic regime's intelligence. They were allocated to show a 'massive Muslim support' of Ahmadinejad and his regime to some naive reporters who are often disseminating face value news in reference to Iran.

The Islamic regime intelligence has millions of dollars of deposits in several banks placed under the Indonesian juridiction.

U.S. rejects Annan's call for direct talks with Iran

Peoples Daily Online:

The United States rejected on Friday UN chief Kofi Annan's call for direct talks over nuclear issues with Iran, accusing Tehran of having "refused to engage in a constructive and serious manner." READ MORE

Expressing support for European and Russian efforts to negotiate an end to Iran's suspected nuclear program, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said, "We believe that we are following the right diplomatic process now."

"We have been in support of the EU-3, we have been in support of the Russian government in their direct negotiations with the Iranian government," McCormack said.

Annan urged the United States to join with the EU-3, namely Britain, France and Germany, to resume talks with Iran. "Everyone, every important stakeholder should be at a table," Annan told reporters in the margins of an EU-Latin America summit.

"I urge all parties to be open, Iran included, and come back to the table and find a solution." Annan said, noting the proposed the EU-3 talks with Iran, would be more productive if they included the United States.

Washington has been refusing to have direct talks with Iran, insisting there are many ways for communication between the United States and Iran.

"Our view at this point is that there are plenty of channels of communication if the Iranians want to pass information to us or we want to pass information to them," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a news briefing on Thursday.

The spokesman also said that problems that Iran has right now is not just between the United States and Iran.

Iran gave al-Qaeda in Iraq SAM-7 missiles – report

Iran Focus: a pro-MEK website

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had provided the insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq heavy weapons including anti-aircraft missiles, it emerged on Friday.

The Iraqi daily az-Zaman which is published in London and Baghdad quoted credible Iraqi sources as revealing that the IRGC had given al-Qaeda in Iraq, Strela-type SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles, modern explosives, and a large number of personnel arms including Kalashnikovs and BKC machineguns.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is believed to be led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is on the United States’ wanted list.

The report said that representatives of al-Zarqawi’s group met in Beirut with members of the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah and through them established channels with Tehran.

Three close aides to al-Zarqawi travelled to Iran via a security checkpoint in the Iraqi border province of al-Amara from where they met with Iranian officials, the report added. READ MORE

The United States and Iraqi officials have accused Iran’s radical Islamic government of sending agents and arms into Iraq to assist the insurgency.

The IRGC was founded in the early days of the Islamic revolution in 1979 as an armed force loyal to Iran’s clerical rulers. Its commanders directly report to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and their mission is to “protect and propagate” the Islamic revolution.

Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush is sign of return of Imam Mahdi

Mehran Riazaty: Iran Analyst

On Friday, Aftab News Agency reported that Saeed Hadaddian, one of Iran well known eulogist, among the pilgrims in city of Qom, said that Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush is sign of return of Imam Mahdi (12th Shiite Hidden Imam). Hadadian speech was broadcasted from channel one of Iranian TV.

Yesterday, State run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported that the Substitute Friday Prayers Leader of Tehran Ayatollah Ahamd Jannati said that Iranian Ahmadinejad's letter to Bush was divinely inspired. Addressing hundreds of worshipers at Tehran University, Jannati reiterated, "The letter is spectacular, and when I say it is an inspiration from God, I really believe in it."

On May 11, IRNA reported that Ahmadinejad said that his letter to Bush did not concern the nuclear dossier, but rather was an invitation to Islam and the prophet’s culture. READ MORE

Today, Mehr News Agency reported that Ahmadinejad in Bali said that "If they wanted to fly an airplane full of bombs overhead and say okay, let's go on with dialogue, we will not accept." He added that Iran is in favor of dialogue with all countries, except the Zionist regime.

Today, Fars News Agency also from Bali reported that Ahmadinejad said “I believe that my letter provided an historical opportunity for President Bush, and now is up to him to decide a right or wrong approach.” Ahmadinejad added that his letter was on the basis of modern literature of promoting justice and religious values.

Analyst Comment: Ahmadinejad said that his letter to President Bush was “An invitation to Islam and the prophet’s culture” and “His letter was on the basis of modern literature of promoting justice and religious values.” The main question is that if Ahmadinejad’s letter to Bush was divinely inspired, as Ayatollah Janati said, and if Ahmadinejad likes to invite leaders of other countries to Islam and prophet’s culture or religious values: Why first he did not write a letter to the head of Godless Communist China or the Russian President, Vladimir Putin (who used to work for KGB), another Godless state which used to consider religion as the opium of the people, and invite them to Islam and religious values. The answer is obvious, unlike the United States, China and Russia are to some extent supporting Iran’s nuclear activities and also they have extensive economic cooperation with Iran.

Mehran Riazaty: a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad.

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Russia and US Trade Angry Words Over Iran

Philip Sherwell, The Telegraph:

The American secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, traded barbs during bad-tempered talks at a foreign ministers' summit in New York on Iran's nuclear programme. The exchanges provided a candid introduction to diplomacy for Margaret Beckett, the new Foreign Secretary, who attended the tetchy session at the end of her first full day in the job. The row, which further undermines hopes of a diplomatic solution to the Iran crisis, reflects deepening rifts between the United States and Russia.

Tension surfaced at a private meeting hosted by Ms Rice in the Waldorf Hotel for the Russian, British, French, German and Chinese foreign ministers, and spilt over into a much-delayed dinner.

One official in Washington said: "It was a pretty extraordinary session and everyone's been talking about it in private since. It was certainly quite an introduction to the rough and tumble of the new job for Mrs Beckett." READ MORE

Mr Lavrov arrived at the Waldorf for the meeting seething about a speech on Kremlin policies delivered by Dick Cheney, the vice-president, the previous week in Lithuania. The Russian repeatedly complained about the comments and then threatened to veto a Security Council resolution, drafted by Britain and France and backed by the US, that would force Iran to abandon enrichment of uranium.

Although Moscow has made clear that it opposes any use of mandatory powers, the other ministers were left in no doubt that Mr Lavrov's approach reflected fury over the Cheney speech. As the mood worsened, Mr Lavrov accused the Americans of seeking to undermine efforts by Britain, France and Germany to solve the crisis.

He singled out Nicholas Burns, the State Department's number three, for particular flak, complaining about his criticism of Russian involvement in Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant. Already frustrated, Ms Rice, a Russia expert, took exception to his remarks about Mr Burns and curtly told her guest: "This meeting isn't going anywhere." The gathering in Ms Rice's suite had been intended as a 30-minute chat before dinner but turned into a two-hour session. By the time the foreign ministers sat down to eat at 10.30pm, their sea bass was shrivelled and, to Mrs Beckett's surprise, the bickering continued in front of senior officials.

The next day, John Sawers, the Foreign Office political director, and colleagues from the other five nations worked to smooth over the row. They came up with a new proposal for incentives on trade deals, security guarantees and civilian nuclear technology for Iran if it halts enrichment.

The offer represented a significant tactical shift by the US, as Washington had previously refused to back rewards for Iran. Privately, American and European officials doubt it will alter Iran's behaviour but believe that it may be the only hope of securing Russian and Chinese backing for tougher diplomatic measures, including UN sanctions.

Last week's developments also underscore tensions between Ms Rice and the men who effectively ran US foreign policy during George W Bush's first term - Mr Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary. Ms Rice was annoyed that talks on Iran with Mr Lavrov were complicated by the vice president's remarks but Mr Cheney and other hardliners want to send a tough message to Russia and also oppose US overtures to Iran and North Korea.

Indeed, they believe that it is better for the US to make clear that it is willing to pursue a solution with its allies, than to become bogged in negotiation with unco-operative partners. Ms Rice's friendship with Mr Bush has strengthened her position, but Mr Cheney's intervention signals that his voice will be crucial as the administration decides whether to attack sites where it believes Iran is developing a nuclear bomb.

Meanwhile, it was revealed on Friday that UN inspectors had found traces of near bomb-grade enriched uranium on equipment at an Iranian research centre.

From Iran, With Something Less Than Love

Elaine Sciolino, The New York Times:

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran wrote a letter to President Bush last weekend — the first formal letter from an Iranian leader to an American president since Iran's Islamic revolution of 1979. The letter has a familiar ring. In tone and structure, it is eerily reminiscent of a letter sent in January 1989 by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the father of Iran's revolution, to Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the leader of a collapsing Soviet Union. READ MORE

Certainly the historical context is different. Ayatollah Khomeini was convinced that Communism was dead and the only worthwhile system of government was one based on religious truth. He was advising the Soviet leader to study the Koran. Mr. Ahmadinejad, for his part, has set out to lecture Mr. Bush on the immorality of the war in Iraq, the confinement of prisoners at Guantánamo, the United States' support for Israel, and other aspects of American foreign policy that he doesn't like.

And the letters differ in style. Ayatollah Khomeini, a revered clerical scholar, filled his letter with Koranic references and elaborate footnotes. Mr. Ahmadinejad, a mere layman, repeatedly invoked the name of Jesus Christ and the Old Testament prophets, alongside Koranic verses. But rather than footnotes, he filled his letter with taunts.

Still, the letters share something basic — a tone of pure effrontery. Both include heavy doses of lecturing and use religious knowledge with an air of moral superiority. The tone is highlighted by repeating the recipient's name again and again.

It's impossible to know whether Mr. Ahmadinejad's letter is an act of homage to the Iranian revolutionary leader, who died in June 1989, but it certainly is an imitation.

It is also an act of breathtaking audacity — Mr. Ahmadinejad dares to cast himself as the great Islamic scholar's stand-in. And Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ayatollah Khomeini's official successor as "supreme leader" of Iran, has let him do it.

Both letters begin with an introduction and a theme, as if to say: Hello. I have something on my mind. ...:

KHOMEINI Your boldness and initiative in dealing with the realities of the world is quite likely to bring about changes that would result in upsetting the equations of power dominating the world. I have therefore found it necessary to bring certain matters to your attention. ... If you hope, at this juncture, to cut the economic Gordian knots of socialism and communism by appealing to the center of Western capitalism, you will, far from remedying any ill of your society, commit a mistake which those to come will have to erase. For, if Marxism has come to a deadlock in its social and economic policies, capitalism has also bogged down.

AHMADINEJAD For some time now I have been thinking, how one can justify the undeniable contradictions that exist in the international arena. ... Many questions remain unanswered. These have prompted me to discuss some of the contradictions and questions, in the hopes that it might bring about an opportunity to redress them. ... Can one be a follower of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), the great Messenger of God, but at the same time, have countries attacked. At what price?

I know your problem: You don't follow God's principles.

KHOMEINI Mr. Gorbachev: Reality must be faced. The main problem confronting your country is not one of private ownership, freedom and economy; your problem is the absence of true faith in God.

AHMADINEJAD Mr. President: ... I fail to understand how such actions correspond to the values outlined in the beginning of this letter, i.e., the teachings of Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), human rights and liberal values.

Let me give you a lesson in religion.

KHOMEINI Mr. Gorbachev: ... I do not wish to entangle you in the twists and turns of philosophical arguments, particularly those of Islamic philosophy. I will content myself by presenting one or two simple, intuitive examples of which even politicians can avail themselves. ... Should Your Excellency desire further information on these matters, you may command those scholars of yours who are well versed in this field to study, in addition to the works of Western philosophers, the writings of Peripatetic philosophers, Farabi and Avicenna, peace be upon them.

AHMADINEJAD Mr. President: It is not my intention to distress anyone. If prophet Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ishmael, Joseph or Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) were with us today, how would they have judged such behavior? Will we be given a role to play in the promised world, where justice will become universal and Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) will be present? Will they even accept us?

All divine religions share and respect one word and that is monotheism or belief in a single God and no other in the world. The holy Koran stresses this common word.

Both close with a view of the future, but the thoughts are not the same. Ayatollah Khomeini seems to say: We can help you. Mr. Ahmadinejad seems to tell President Bush: Watch out.

KHOMEINI Mr. Gorbachev: Let me call on you to study Islam earnestly, not because Islam and the Muslims may need you but because Islam has exalted universal values which can bring comfort and salvation to all nations and remove the basic problems of mankind. A true understanding of Islam may forever release you from the problem of Afghanistan and other similar involvements. In conclusion, I declare outright that the Islamic Republic of Iran as the greatest and most powerful base of the Islamic world can easily fill the vacuum of religious faith in your society. In any case, our country, as in the past, honors good neighborhood and bilateral relations.

Peace be upon those who follow the guidance.

AHMADINEJAD Mr. President: Liberalism and Western-style democracy have not been able to help realize the ideals of humanity. Today these two concepts have failed. Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems. Whether we like it or not, the world is gravitating towards faith in the Almighty and justice and the will of God will prevail over all things.

Iran: Don't Repeat Nuclear Mistake

CNN.com:

Iran's foreign minister told European states not to repeat the mistake of forcing an end to talks on Tehran's nuclear program by demanding it stop uranium enrichment, official news agency IRNA reported on Saturday. Iran accuses the three main European negotiators -- Britain, Germany and France -- of unilaterally canceling a round of talks on Iran's nuclear row in August 2005 shortly after Iran resumed its nuclear research and development activities.

"The European countries should not repeat the 'August experience'," IRNA quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying at a meeting in Indonesia. READ MORE

Mottaki did not elaborate further, but said Iran would cooperate fully with European states if they accepted Iran's right to have peaceful nuclear technology and enter a dialogue based on that.

On Friday, a draft EU report indicated that the European Union would insist on Monday that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment despite Tehran's demand that some be allowed for research goals.

Diplomats have said that Britain, France and Germany could meet on the margins of Monday's talks in Brussels to discuss a new package of incentives and sanctions designed to lure Iran back to the negotiating table.

The declaration drafted for EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday gave no details of a package of incentives.

Mottaki told state television: "Any incentive not including Iran's right of having the nuclear technology...does not attract our people and government at all."

Iran's nuclear case has been referred to the U.N. Security Council as the United States and European countries accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran denies the charge, saying it wants nuclear energy for electricity.

Adding to concerns, U.N. inspectors have found traces of near bomb-grade enriched uranium on nuclear equipment in Iran, diplomats said on Friday.

Russia and China have resisted any U.N. Security Council resolution that could end in sanctions.

Iran's Economy Struggling, Sanctions or No

Ali Akbar Dareini, SeattlePI:

Iran increasingly finds itself in economic limbo as the international community debates how to respond to Tehran's refusal to stop enriching uranium. Although the U.N. Security Council remains deadlocked over enforcing its demand with the threat of sanctions, Iranian businessmen complain that already trade is sluggish, investment opportunities have been lost and foreign capital has been withdrawn. They blame the nuclear crisis.

"The market is stagnant. Buyers can't pay for the material they've purchased and their checks often bounce because of lack of funds," said Amir Jazayeri, an iron trader.

He said that since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to power last August, his business has slowed from its levels during the reign of Iran's previous moderate leader, Mohammad Khatami.

"It was not brisk business during Khatami's era, but the market was not so bad. There has been a clear economic recession since tensions rose over Iran's nuclear activities beginning last summer. It has gotten worse in the past two months," Jazayeri said.

Iran has been under U.S. sanctions since the 1979 Islamic revolution and the seizure of hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, but it was able to expand trade with other countries, diversify its economy and become self-reliant in many industries.

Tehran also is benefiting from the surge in oil prices, seeing its oil revenues rise nearly 50 percent to $45 billion during the 12 months that ended March 20.

Still, the economy staggers under the weight of high unemployment, double digit inflation and interest rates of 25 percent to 30 percent on personal loans. Prices for key consumer needs - food in particular - have risen recently by as much as 20 percent.

"Prices of some basic products that we need have increased, like meat and milk. We've been promised an increase in our pension, but we haven't received anything yet," said Firoozeh Kadijani, a 60-year-old retired teacher.

Official statistics say unemployment is about 16 percent, but some analysts estimate it is above 30 percent. Many Iranians earn less than $3,000 a year, and outside studies say as many as 40 percent of the population lives in poverty. READ MORE

The European Union sought to settle the nuclear dispute by offering economic help if Iran gave up uranium enrichment and agreed to international controls to ensure it does not build atomic weapons, but Iranian leaders rejected the offer. They also say they don't fear U.N. sanctions.

"If sanctions are imposed, we are capable of managing the country according to our past experiences. We could run the country with no dollars in oil revenue as we did in the 1990s," Finance Minister Davood Danesh-Jafari said in March.

Others say Iran already is paying a stiff penalty. And, said economist Bahman Arman, "If the U.N. Security Council imposes sanctions on Iran, we should expect greater economic recession."

He said Iranian companies are cutting back on investment and other spending.

"All businessmen are just holding down, waiting to see what will happen next. Everybody is waiting to see what the U.N. Security Council will decide," he said.

Arman said not all of Iran's economic problems stem from worries about possible sanctions.

"Wrong economic policies on the part of the government have also contributed to economic recession," he said. "The government is backing small industries, not big industries. Ahmadinejad's economic policies have caused greater inflation, too."

Ahmadinejad came to office promising to increase wages for the working class, boost retiree pensions and distribute Iran's oil wealth, but he has not delivered.

"He has failed to fulfill his promise of social justice," Arman said.

Iran Leader Decries Coerced Nuclear Talks

Zakki Hakim, The Washington Post:

Iran's president, emboldened by the support of Muslim nations, said Saturday he was willing to hold talks over his country's disputed nuclear program but not with countries that hold "bombs over our head." READ MORE

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke after talks with heads of state from Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey and Malaysia, and government ministers from Egypt and Bangladesh.

Delegates of the Developing Eight, or D-8, summit released a statement after the meeting saying they support the development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as Iran claims it is doing. The declaration gave Ahmadinejad a much-needed boost as Tehran faces international pressure to stop uranium enrichment.

The hard-line leader thanked his counterparts "for committing themselves to defend the peaceful use and the development of nuclear energy," and assured them that he was willing to hold talks on his nuclear ambitions, but not with "countries that hang planes with bombs over our heads."

"If they want to threaten the use of force we will not go into dialogue with them," he said _ a reference to possible U.S. military strikes over concerns that Tehran wants to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran claims its nuclear program is peaceful and aimed at generating electricity, but the United States and its allies accuse Tehran of seeking to develop atomic weapons.

Those fears were heightened Friday when diplomats said U.N. inspectors have found traces of highly enriched uranium on equipment from an Iranian research center linked to the military.

The diplomats, who demanded anonymity in exchange for divulging the confidential information, cautioned that confirmation still had to come through other laboratory tests.

Ahmadinejad's comments came amid European moves to help Iran develop a civilian nuclear power program if the Islamic republic agrees to international controls to ensure it will not build an atomic arsenal.

European Union foreign ministers are expected Monday to restate the bloc's "preparedness to support Iran's development of a safe, sustainable and proliferation-proof civilian nuclear program, if international concerns were fully addressed," according to a document posted Friday on the EU's Web site.

The Europeans are seeking to build on a package of economic and political incentives offered to Iran in August last year in return for a permanent end to uranium enrichment activities.

Iran rejected that deal, but EU governments have continued to offer sweeteners to persuade Tehran to bring its nuclear program into line, as well as pushing at the United Nations for measures that could lead to sanctions if Iran refuses.

Washington had been pressing for U.N. Security Council action against Tehran but recently agreed to put such efforts on hold and give new European-led attempts to find a negotiated solution a chance in the face of fierce Russian and Chinese opposition to a strong signal from the council.

Moscow and Beijing have balked at efforts to put a Security Council resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter. Such a move would declare Iran a threat to international peace and security and set the stage for further measures if Tehran refuses to suspend uranium enrichment. Those measures could range from breaking diplomatic relations to economic sanctions and military action.