TEHRAN, Iran, Aug. 22, 2006
Iran Ready To Enter 'Serious' Talks
But News Agency Reports Tehran Unwilling To Abandon Nuclear Enrichment
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Play CBS Video Video Iran's Nuclear Debate An Iranian news agency says the country will not comply with the U.N. Security Council's request to stop enriching nuclear fuel. Bill Plante has more.
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Video Interview With Iran's Leader Part 1: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad explained to "60 Minutes' " Mike Wallace what he believes is the divine act of suicide deaths. And he defends Iran's pursuit of nuclear energy.
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Video Iran's President On Sanctions Part 3: Iranian President Ahmadinejad told "60 Minutes" correspondent Mike Wallace that sanctions will not work because the United States needs his country.
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Iranian Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, listens to a question during a press conference, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
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An Iranian soldier shoots a missile during the three days of the military exercises at Sistan-Baluchestan province, east of city of Zahedan near the Pakistani border 21 August 2006 (Stringer/AFP/Getty)
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Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani meeting with ambassadors from Britain, China, Russia, France, Germany and Switzerland (APTN)
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Fast Facts Iran Learn about the people, economy and history.
Tuesday's announcement was the latest development in the yearlong standoff between Western countries and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. Iran insists the program is for peaceful purposes, but the United States and other countries suspect Tehran is trying to build a nuclear arsenal.
Last month, the Security Council set an Aug. 31 deadline for Iran to halt uranium enrichment or face economic and political sanctions.
Iran called the resolution "illegal" but had said it was willing to offer a "multifaceted response" to the incentives package that the United States, the four other permanent council members and Germany offered to Tehran in June.
Iranian officials familiar with Larijani's response said Tehran offered a "new formula" to resolve the dispute. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
"Iran has provided a comprehensive response to everything said in the Western package. In addition, Iran, in its formal response, has asked some questions to be answered," one official said without providing more details.
At the same time, however, the Iranians have been signaling they are not prepared to abandon nuclear enrichment — a component in manufacturing nuclear weapons — as a precondition to talks. Last month, a senior Iranian lawmaker said the country's parliament was preparing to debate withdrawal from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the U.N. Security Council adopts a resolution to force Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment.
However, if the Iranians left the door open to halting enrichment as talks progressed, that would drive a wedge between the American, British and French on one side and the Russians and Chinese on the other.
Last month, Russia said the Security Council was in no rush to pressure Iran over its nuclear program, striking a more conciliatory tone than the United States.
On Monday, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the Islamic Republic "has made its own decision and in the nuclear case, God willing, with patience and power, will continue its path."
Khamenei accused the United States of putting pressure on Iran despite Tehran's assertions that its nuclear program was peaceful.
Furthermore, Iran prevented inspectors from the U.N. nuclear agency from inspecting an underground site meant to shelter its uranium enrichment program from attack. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei is to report by Sept. 11 to the agency's board on Iran's compliance with the U.N. deadline to freeze enrichment and other aspects of Tehran's cooperation with U.N. inspectors.
In February, Iran for the first time produced its first batch of low-enriched uranium, using a cascade of 164 centrifuges. The process of uranium enrichment can be used to generate electricity or in building a bomb, depending on the level.
The Western incentives package has not been made public but some details have leaked. They include an offer to lift a ban on sales of Boeing passenger aircraft, providing Iran with some nuclear technology to build reactors for civilian purposes and guaranteeing a supply of nuclear fuel.
Iran has pursued a confrontational stand on the nuclear issue following the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last year. The hardline president has insisted that Iran has a right to pursue nuclear technology despite threats of sanctions.
Ahmadinejad has used the nuclear issue to encourage a sense of national pride among Iranians by standing up to the United States and other Western countries.
The failure of Israel to destroy the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement in the 34-day war in Lebanon may embolden hard-line groups within Iran to risk a showdown with the Americans, who are bogged down in neighboring Iraq.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 53 CommentsNot really. In the end "Brute Forc"%u201D decides and that is what this whole thing is about.
Not really. In the end %u201CBrute Force%u201D decides and that is what this whole thing is about.
Not really. In the end %u201CBrute Force%u201D decides and that is what this whole thing is about.
And finally Ronnie, countries that steal oil(oil exports from Iraq to US up 186% IN THE PAST 24 MONTHS) are rightly accused of trying to dominate the oil supply, especially when the same country uses 40% of the worlds production, in my book that is a fair accusation, irrespective of whether the accusing country possesses oil or not. Not hypocritical, its unfortunately factual!
Number 2, i still have a problem with him denying the holocaust, but again what he has said is fair, European jews died in the holocaust, not middle-easterners, what part did Palestine lay in this process? Why i it them that are paying the price? That is fair. However, he still denied a fact, though I think it would be amusing to allow him to send an impartial team to investigate!
So comments aside, as they seem to be used as propaganda, Ronnie says Iranian troops and weapons seem to turn up at random places. May I point out if that statement is not applicable to the US, I dont know what is.
cont....
I don't get the oil thing. Sounds like paranoia. I can say that it makes me a little nauseous to hear countries that dominate the oil supply accuse anyone of trying to dominate the oil supply. That's just plain hypocrisy.
They do not feel threatened by us, and why shoul they, sanctions isn't something new for Iran, Iran knows sanctions will be a bitter blow for Russia, and China and oil prices. The current resolution says, sanctions MAY be applicable, it doesnt say definately applicable or even likely to be applicable, they see our tone as a bullying tactic, and you can bet your bottom dollar that it sure as hell does not cut the mustard in Tehran.
I dont know how many high-IQ employees from the Ivy League the White House currently employs, but you would think and hope one of them will have the common sense to convince somebody higher up the pecking order to change their tone, because our tone illustrates, as usual, we are again interested in confrontation that leads to yet another oil robberry, Iran is having none of it. And rightly so. Lets offer them something worthwhile, and get inspectors in that not only monitor, but dismantle their current capabilities, its a situation that requires tact, not the foolishness that is so typical of our country's political strategy.
This pre-emption against Iran is a deterrent and warning to all terrorist states which try to secretly make nuclear bombs!
Luckily and hopefully we'll change that guy from the administration by the next elections.
You know, you're working awfully hard to avoid answering a simple question. So far I know your parents came from somewhere else and that you received some American training in genetics. Also, you're very afraid the answer will result in racial profiling. Try me. I may prove that you don't know what you think you know about me or America.
You know, you're working awfully hard to avoid answering a simple question. So far I know your parents came from somewhere else and that you received some American training in genetics. Also, you're very afraid the answer will result in racial profiling. Try me. I may prove that you don't know what you think you know about me or America.
What makes you say this is a british english? Don't know but when time comes to writing, I do things differently. I have had training here in America, in genetics, and focibly when you go into this type of environment you think differently, write differently. U ask questions. Why is this so?. Why is not that so? I watch a lot of foreign news. www.BBC.co.UK, www.CBC.ca our northern neighbours, and of course I read newspapers Left and Right... there you go Ronnie
my parents came in Amercia probably at the same time than your parents came too...
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