Iran scorns EU trio's draft nuclear resolution
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-19 09:18

'NOT MUCH TO TALK ABOUT'

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said nuclear weapons were against Islamic teachings, as well as Iranian interests, but he vowed to pursue atomic energy.

The United States and EU said they saw no point in further talks with Iran and it was time for the Security Council to tackle the issue, ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on Tehran and opening the door to eventual sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said there was "not much to talk about" and Solana, who she hosted for talks, agreed.

Iran on Tuesday proposed more talks with the Europeans, who called off the negotiations last week after Tehran removed U.N. seals on uranium enrichment equipment.

Rice, speaking before talks with Solana, said the EU had made clear Iran had crossed an important threshold.

But previous EU predictions that the IAEA board would send the Iran dossier to the council as soon as early next month were "looking a bit sick," a top EU diplomat said.

U.S. and European officials say a majority on the IAEA board favors referral, but they want as much support as they can muster from Russia, China and other sceptics.

Iran has begun to lobby developing nations on the IAEA board ahead of any vote. Ahmadinejad is going to Syria on Wednesday, his oil minister is visiting India and other Iranian officials are in Egypt and South Africa.

An EU diplomat said the draft text asks Iran "to help the (IAEA) clarify questions regarding possible nuclear weapons activities" and calls on IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei "to transmit a copy of this resolution to the Security Council."

Some Western officials say simply hauling Iran to the Security Council for censure could prompt a change of heart in Tehran, seen as keen to avoid pariah status.

Any move to use full-scale sanctions against Iran, let alone military action, could send world oil prices rocketing and reopen some of the international rifts opened by the Iraq war.

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