Iran set to share nuclear info in Muslim world
(AP)
Updated: 2005-09-16 07:51

"We just underlined that our position is on the table, our position is unchanged and we are waiting now for the announcement of the new proposals of the Iranians," he said.

Straw said the EU ministers would hold a meeting later Thursday with the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The U.S. State Department expressed concern about Ahmedinejad's reported proposal, saying it makes it more vital that other countries work in concert to stop the Iranian threat.

The EU-Iranian meetings took place amid growing opposition from countries to referring the Iran nuclear dispute to the U.N. Security Council.

The United States, which suspects Iran may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons, and European countries warned last week that Tehran is running out of time to freeze uranium processing activities or face referral to the Security Council.

But Tehran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful energy production, has rejected the threat and has warned the United Nations not to go down that road. On Sunday, Mottaki said his country wants to continue dialogue with Europe without preconditions.

Diplomats and officials said in Vienna that due to opposition by veto-wielding Security Council members Russia and China, as well as by India, Pakistan and other key nations, Washington and the EU were reluctantly weighing less severe options for Monday's board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency. They spoke on condition of anonymity.

France, Britain and Germany, together with the European Union, have sought for two years to persuade Iran to give up some nuclear activities that can be used to make weapons, but negotiations broke down over the summer and it ended an agreement reached in Paris.

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