US not to rule out future uranium enrichment by Iran

Washington, June 8 : The US did not rule out a ''negotiated settlement'' over uranium enrichment by Iran while calling for an immediate suspension of the activity if Tehran accepts incentives and returns to talks on the future of its nuclear programme.

According to State Department sources, world powers are no longer demanding that Iran commit to a prolonged moratorium on uranium enrichment and are now asking only for a suspension during talks on its nuclear programme.

US officials have so far asserted that Iran would have to stop enriching uranium if it is to benefit from incentives being offered by the five permanent UN Security Council member countries.

However, the State Department did not entirely rule out enrichment by Iran in the future under a negotiated solution that resolves all concerns by the US and others that Tehran was pursuing a secret nuclear weapons programme.

The diplomatic package formally presented to Iran this week does leave open the possibility that Tehran will be able, at some point, to enrich uranium on its own soil, the Washington Post reported yesterday.

The Post described the prospect as a concession to Iran, which while denying weapons ambitions has said it has a right to enrichment as part of a civilian nuclear programme.

Meanwhile at a briefing in the State Department, Spokesman Sean McCormack refused to discuss precise terms of the so-called ''carrots and sticks'' offer to the Iranians.

But he said an enrichment suspension is a fundamental condition for Iran to reap the benefits of the package and to have nuclear negotiations with the US and the other major powers.

''"They would need to suspend all enrichment and reprocessing related activities. All enrichment and reprocessing activities. So that's the prerequisite for negotiations. Let's suppose, just for a second, take it one step further that there were negotiations.

That condition would have to hold throughout any negotiating period.

Beyond that, I am not going to speculate, beyond that we are truly into the realm of hypothetical and theoretical,'' Mr McCormack said.

EU Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana presented the offer to officials in Tehran on Tuesday and later said he was more optimistic about a possible solution to the Iranian nuclear issue than he was previously.

The package is widely reported to include, among other things, an offer of European assistance to Iran in building safeguarded light-water nuclear reactors and support for Iranian membership in the World Trade Organisation.

Iran would be penalised with UN Security Council action and possible sanctions if it did not accept the offer. But to repeated questions, spokesman McCormack did not elaborate if Mr Solana had spelled out a programme of ''disincentives'' during his Tehran visit.

UNI