US would talk to Iran if suspends enrichment-official

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) The United States will engage in multilateral talks with Iran if Tehran suspends uranium enrichment, US officials said today.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, made their comments ahead of an expected announcement on Iran at 11 EDT (1500 GMT) by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

One official stressed that it concerns ''multilateral talks, not bilateral talks if they stop enrichment.'' Another official, asked if President George W Bush had decided to engage in multilateral talks with Iran, said: ''That's right....but suspension of enrichment is the most important thing.'' The US move came as senior officials from major powers prepared to meet in Vienna tomorrow to approve a batch of incentives for Iran not to pursue nuclear know-how with arms potential.

Tehran says its nuclear program is aimed purely at producing energy.

White House spokesman Tony Snow, speaking about the Rice announcement, played down the shift in Washington's stance.

''It's not going to mark a change in the US position ...

there are not going to be one on one talks with Iran,'' he told reporters.

''There are going to be some changes but the overall position, which is that Iran needs to take the first step, it needs to suspend enrichment and reprocessing activities, that's still there,'' he said. ''It's the foundation stone.'' REUTERS SHB KP2017