Iran says nuclear offer needs clearing of ambiguities

TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran has said that an international proposal aimed at ending a stand-off over its nuclear programme needed to be cleared of ambiguities before the Islamic republic could give a reply.

"If the Europeans want a quick response from Iran, they should remove ambiguities," foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told official media Tuesday.

"Our response will not be impulsive, and we shouldn't say that the response will be given at a certain date," he stressed, adding that "now the ball is the court of the Europeans."

World powers have been pushing Iran to respond positively to the offer -- economic, trade and political incentives in exchange for a suspension of uranium enrichment -- before a meeting of Group of Eight leaders this weekend.

The offer, drawn up by the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany, was presented to Tehran six weeks ago.

The Islamic republic has insisted it is serious about defusing the nuclear standoff, but has so far indicated that it is unwilling to suspend its uranium enrichment activities.

Iran says it wants to enrich uranium only to make civilian reactor fuel, although the process can be extended to make nuclear weapons.

Asefi's comments came as Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, arrived in Brussels for fresh talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana -- who is hoping to get an indication of whether or not Iran will accept the deal.

Iran has so far not elaborated on what it sees as ambiguities in the offer.

Asefi also warned G8 leaders against taking action against Iran in the absence of a reply.

"If the G8 summit takes stances that are not in accordance with our rights and path, it will not have a constructive impact on the continuation of the negotiations," he said.

Iran rejects deadline at EU nuclear talks

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator rebuffed Western pressure for an immediate answer to an offer of incentives to suspend uranium enrichment ahead of crucial talks with the European Union on Tuesday.

The United States, which accuses Tehran of secretly working to build nuclear weapons, has demanded a clear Iranian response before next weekend's summit of Group of Eight industrialized nations in Russia or face possible U.N. Security Council action.

But Ali Larijani told reporters before he met EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana for a second round of talks in five days: "We have expressed our view regarding the deadline. We are not used to acting before thinking."

Iran has said it will reply in late August to a package of technology, economic and political sweeteners, and an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman suggested its full answer would only emerge later during detailed negotiations on the offer.

"Iran's answer will not be given suddenly. The answers will be given during the negotiations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi was quoted as saying by state radio, adding Tehran saw "ambiguities" in all three areas of the package.

Outside the talks, some 60 supporters of the exiled Iranian opposition waved banners urging "U.N. sanctions to stop the game of the mullahs," insisting Tehran was not interested in solving the dispute and was merely playing for time.

Diplomats say Russia and China, both veto-holders in the U.N. Security Council, are wary about imposing sanctions on Tehran and so acknowledge there is little pressure on Iran to give an early reply to the offer presented by Solana on June 6.

AMBIGUITIES

Iran said on Sunday that Solana had not managed to answer all its questions on the package during a two-hour meeting with Larijani last Thursday.

The EU, which had described last week's talks as a good start, brushed off those remarks and said it still wanted a "substantive response" from Larijani on Tuesday.

"We will continue to discuss with Larijani, with the aim of getting from Iran their response to the proposals," said Solana's spokeswoman Cristina Gallach.

The talks come a day before a meeting in Paris of foreign ministers from the five permanent members of the Security Council -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- and Germany, the six powers behind the incentives offer.

The package includes a state-of-the-art nuclear reactor with a guaranteed fuel supply, economic benefits and other incentives if Iran halts uranium enrichment.

Two U.S. nuclear analysts said the offer would be more appealing to Iran if it included U.S.-backed assurances of no threats or use of force, and a pledge of quick help to restore infrastructure worn down by U.S.-driven trade restrictions.

"Iran is not prepared to relinquish (enrichment) for tenuous concessions like multilateral talks to which the U.S. is one party, or promises of nuclear and economic assistance involving long timetables and complicated conditions," said former U.N. arms inspector David Albright and analyst Jacqueline Shire.

Their Washington-based think tank Institute for Science and International Security said Iran had to be offered a way forward which "makes the decision to give up enrichment an appealing, logical step and not a humiliating, defeated one."

Iran, the world's fourth largest oil exporter, rejects charges it seeks a nuclear weapon and argues it is solely interested in electricity generation.

Oil eased on Tuesday, falling again on hopes of progress toward resolving the nuclear stand-off. London Brent was down 20 cents to $72.69 a barrel. But traders said losses were limited by Tehran's reluctance to reach an accord quickly.