Iran makes nuke offer

2006-03-07 20:13

Vienna - Iran is offering to suspend full-scale uranium enrichment for up to two years, a diplomat said on Tuesday.

The offer appeared to be Tehran's latest attempt to escape security council sanctions over concerns it is developing nuclear weapons.

Chief Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani made the offer to officials in Moscow on Friday during meetings to discuss a proposal to move Tehran's enrichment programme to Russia, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stressed his country was not prepared to give up small-scale enrichment as demanded by Russia, the United States and the European Union and others.

"We've spent a lot on this," Ali Asghar Soltanieh said outside a 35-nation board meeting of the IAEA that was to focus on Iran.

Russian proposal

Diplomats familiar with the Moscow talks said Russia insisted Iran freeze all enrichment for up to eight years.

Russia offered to conduct enrichment for Iran, thereby helping ensure that Tehran did not use its nuclear to make nuclear arms.

In exchange, Russian negotiators promised to try to persuade US and European officials to allow Iran to begin limited enrichment-related activities after the eight-year suspension.

However, strong US opposition meant the Russian initiative was unlikely to succeed.

US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice telephoned IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Monday "to reiterate the US position that Iran should cease all enrichment-related activity", a state department spokesperson said.

There was no official IAEA response.

- AP