EU insists Iran give up nuclear fuel work

By Parisa Hafezi

TEHRAN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union on Friday
insisted Iran give up nuclear fuel work and called an urgent
meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog that could refer Tehran to
the U.N. Security Council for sanctions.

But a senior Iranian nuclear negotiator said the Islamic
Republic would resume work at a nuclear fuel plant regardless
of EU proposals for political and economic incentives that
offered support for the building of nuclear power stations. “As
Iran will have an assured supply of fuel over the coming years,
it will be able to provide the confidence needed by making a
binding commitment not to pursue fuel cycle activities other
than the construction and operation of light water power and
research reactors,” said a copy of a summary of the proposals
obtained by Reuters.

The EU — represented by Britain, France and Germany — has
been trying to find a compromise for two years between the
United States and Iran.

Washington says Iran is trying to build covertly a nuclear
bomb, but Tehran denies the charge and says it has the right to
convert and enrich uranium for power generation.

The ambassadors of the Britain, France and Germany
presented the EU’s proposals to 15 top Iranian officials on
Friday.

“This proposal is not definite. It is negotiable and
expandable,” two sources present at the meeting quoted one of
the ambassadors as saying. “The only item which is definite, is
the one which asserts that the EU3 considers no difference
between enrichment and uranium conversion activities.”

“LISTEN TO REASON”

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy called on
Iran to “listen to reason.” If Iran resumed its nuclear
activities, “the international community will surely bring the
issue to the Security Council,” he told Europe 1 radio.

The trio of European Union countries are also planning to
call a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
– the U.N. nuclear watchdog — early next week to warn Tehran
against restarting the sensitive nuclear work, diplomats said.

The IAEA can refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council where
the United States says Tehran should face sanctions.

“The Europeans, the Americans and the whole world should
know that however many bribes they give, on no condition will
Iran abandon its rights, we have definitely made our decisions
and whatever they do it will be harmful for them,” Ayatollah
Ahmad Jannati told Tehran Friday prayers.

Iranian officials said the EU offer included backing for
Iran to be the main route for oil and gas exports from Central
Asia, allowing Western companies to build nuclear power plants
in Iran and closer political and security ties.

Iran says it needs nuclear power stations to meet booming
electricity demand. The EU3 offer of power stations could help
Iran to meet that demand without having to process its own
nuclear fuel — which could be used to make a bomb.

“In the proposal, they have supported the idea of Iran
being the main energy transit route to Europe from Central
Asia,” a senior Iranian close to the EU negotiations told
Reuters.

But Washington has long opposed letting Iran carrying fuel
from Central Asia and can impose unilateral sanctions on any
company that invests more $20 million in Iran’s energy sector.