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Iran offers talks, rejects freeze

Iran is ready to negotiate with world powers on its nuclear program but without suspending its controversial uranium enrichment work, the government spokesman said on yesterday.

“Iran will not go back on its rights on the nuclear issue,” Gholamhossein Elham said in the first comments from Tehran since it handed over a response to an international bid to end the nuclear standoff.

“The will of the Iranian people is firm and will continue to follow the principles defined by the supreme guide [Ayatollah Ali Khamenei],” the spokesman said at a weekly news conference.

“Iran insists on negotiations [with world powers] while respecting its rights and avoiding any loss of international rights,” he said, referring to Tehran’s refusal to give up on nuclear enrichment.

Iran on Friday delivered its response to a package drawn up by six world powers offering Iran technology and negotiations if it suspends uranium enrichment, which the West fears could be used to make atomic weapons.

In a letter by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Iran said it would be willing to open a comprehensive negotiation with Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, and the six world powers involved in confronting Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

It did not specifically address any of the proposals they presented to it last month.

“The time for negotiating from the condescending position of inequality has come to an end,” the Iranian response said, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under normal diplomatic rules.

It also criticized the UN Security Council sanctions against it as “illegal” and spoke of a “lack of trust” because of the “duplicitous behavior of certain big powers,” the officials said.

Iran’s response was handed to Solana’s office on Friday evening, according to Cristina Gallach, Solana’s spokesman.

But in their public statements on Friday, the governments involved declined to discuss the substance of the Iranian letter.

“We intend to study the Iranian response,” said Gordon D. Johndroe, deputy White House press secretary, in a statement. He said the US would discuss the letter with the five other governments — Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China — “before responding formally.”

Similarly, a British Foreign Office official said, “We have received the Iranian response and we are consulting” with the other governments before responding.

Officials in Solana’s office also said there would be no immediate comment on the substance of the letter.

Still, some officials involved in the negotiations expressed disappointment.

“There is nothing new in the response,” one said.

Western officials have long contended that Iran wants to prolong the diplomatic back-and-forth so that it can continue its nuclear activities.

Another official said that there might have to be a positive spin by the six nations, simply because the Iranians had responded at all, without rejecting the incentives outright.

Russia and China have shown interest in pursuing some sort of negotiations with Iran even if it does not stop producing enriched uranium, as required by the UN Security Council.

The US, France and Britain, by contrast, are eager to continue to press Iran with additional sanctions if it does not comply.
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