Bush seeks diplomacy to resolve Iran nuclear issue

By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is poised to seek
U.N. Security Council action to heap pressure on Iran for
refusing to negotiate in good faith over its nuclear ambitions,
President George W. Bush said on Tuesday.

Washington wants to resolve the nuclear stand-off
peacefully, Bush said, as U.N. Security Council powers prepared
to meet on Wednesday to produce a joint strategy to persuade
Iran to stop enriching uranium.

“Obviously we’d like to solve this issue peacefully and
diplomatically, and the more the Iranians refuse to negotiate
in good faith the more countries are beginning to realize that
we must continue to work together,” Bush told a joint press
conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

He cited Tehran’s rejection of a proposal in which other
countries would provide fuel so that Iran could generate
civilian nuclear power, and then pick up the spent fuel.

“I’m not so sure these people really do want a solution.
And therefore let us make sure that we’re willing to be working
together in the U.N. Security Council,” Bush said. “We’re on
the cusp of going to the Security Council.”

Russia and China, permanent members of the Security
Council, have so far been reluctant to impose stronger
measures, such as sanctions, on Iran if it fails to curb its
nuclear activities, which Western powers believe are a cover
for developing atomic weapons.

Tehran maintains it’s nuclear program is only for civilian
power generation.

“We’re spending a lot of time working with our Russian
friends in particular to make it clear to them that Iran is
showing no good faith,” said Bush.

At Wednesday’s meeting in London, officials from the United
States, China, Russia, Britain and France — permanent members
of the Security Council — as well as Germany, will discuss
incentives and threats aimed at encouraging Iran to halt
uranium enrichment, which can be used for nuclear weapons.

(Additional reporting by Caren Bohan)