Iran says EU offer must allow uranium enrichment

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Proposals being drawn up by European
states on Iran’s nuclear program must allow Iran to enrich
uranium for atomic research and development purposes, a senior
Iranian official said on Thursday.

Three European countries — Britain, France and Germany —
are drawing up a package of incentives to offer Iran in return
for cooperating with U.N. demands to rein in its nuclear
ambitions.

U.N. demands include a call to halt uranium enrichment on
Iranian territory.

“In any new proposal or package, including the EU’s future
proposal, suspending Iran’s basic rights, including suspension
of enrichment at the level of research and development, is
unacceptable,” Hossein Entezami, spokesman for the Supreme
National Security Council, told the semi-official Mehr News
Agency.

“Accepting such proposals would depend on Iran’s case being
sent back to the (International Atomic Energy) Agency.”

Iran has been hauled before the U.N. Security Council,
which can impose sanctions, for failing to convince the world
that its nuclear program is civilian as Tehran insists and not
military as the West suspects.

Tehran has said it will only offer further cooperation to
the IAEA if its case is referred back to the U.N. nuclear
watchdog.

“Regarding the EU proposal that seeks to offer Iran
security and economic incentives, we have not received any
proposal, but as Tehran believes in finding diplomatic
solutions, it basically believes that such proposals could be
reviewed and discussed, but — of course — if Iran’s rights
are respected,” Entezami said.