Iran Hints At Nuclear Rethink

Envoy Indicates Country Could Reconsider Uranium Enrichment With Fuel Guarantees

(CBS/AP)  A leading Iranian nuclear envoy on Thursday suggested the country could reconsider its uranium enrichment program if it gets cast-iron guarantees of regular international fuel supplies for its nuclear power plants.

"We are going to continue as long as there is no legally binding internationally recognized instrument for assurance of supply," said Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

However, he declined to clarify whether that meant that Iran would halt its enrichment program in return for such international guarantees, suggesting it might have to continue at a diminished level in case the outside supply stops.

Iran has steadfastly rejected international pressure to give up enrichment, a potential source of both nuclear fuel and fissile warhead material.

The United States says the enrichment program is designed to give Iran a nuclear bomb. David Kay, who led the U.S. weapon hunt in post-invasion Iraq, said Iran was two to five years from building a nuclear weapon. Iran insists it is for peaceful nuclear power generation.

Soltanieh said Iran is forced to develop its own enrichment facilities to ensure security of supply for its power plants because it fears international suppliers would face pressure from the United States or others to cut deliveries.

That might change if all 145 members of the U.N.'s atomic energy agency concluded a legally binding agreement to guarantee a constant supply of fuel, Soltanieh told reporters after addressing a think-tank conference.

"Then Iran would be able to reconsider the position that we have now," he said.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, speaking at the Asia Society in New York, also held open the door to negotiations.

Despite differences, Mottaki said enough "common ground" exists to justify more talks over Iran's nuclear program, and "if sufficient political will exists" then an accord can be reached.

At the same time, he questioned the good faith the U.S. and its partners.

"Unfortunately, at the moment in the world today ... we don't see that much fair play out there," Mottaki complained. "Mostly what we see is a selective approach and double standards."

Iranian officials have for years refused to consider calling a halt to the program despite U.N. sanctions.

Getting all members of the Vienna-based nuclear agency to agree on legally binding guarantees would be very difficult, and Soltanieh suggested that Iran may want to keep some enrichment activities even if such an agreement were found.

"We have to have a contingency (safeguard) in case of interruption," he said. "This is not an overnight situation that there is a paper today, and tomorrow then they say Iran will stop. No, it's not possible. There is no way."

Previous efforts to persuade Iran to stop its enrichment program by offering outside fuel supplies, notably from Russia, have failed.

Nevertheless the suggestion that an international supply agreement might end the nuclear stand off was welcomed by Hans Blix, the former head of the nuclear agency and chief U.N. weapons inspector in Iraq. He said it could be the basis for international negotiations.

"This is the direction in which one should look for the future," Blix told the conference on Iran's nuclear program organized by the European Policy Center.

[ocasanas]

Iran knows that, no matter what, if they use a nuclear bomb, even if they are successful in annihilating a whole country, Iran will LOOSE EVERYTHING: bye bye Iran. So, the Iranian government better think about its consequences. The people of Iran are NOT at fault. Don''t let them down, and become a welcoming country, the same way that Lybia did recently.

[questionnews]

I''''d say to all those that are unable to spell "surely'''' correctly, there is no H in surely!

Posted by Terrapin78 at 02:40 PM : Oct 03, 2008


Shirley you jest!

[terrapin78]

I''d say to all those that are unable to spell "surely'' correctly, there is no H in surely!

[questionnews]

So if America invades Iran, Pakistan and Russia, do they get credit for starting World War III?

Posted by onemoretim at 01:25 PM : Oct 03, 2008

No! The US is already in a major credit crunch and we need to stop extending credit to anyone that doesn''t qualify.

[yongamerica]

typical Iranian stall tactic. kind of like football, when a team is trying to run out the clock for a win.

[shingles1]

She is a communication major (journalism). I would be quite shure she knows the difference.
Posted by tcandrews62

Because, as everybody knows, communication majors are always the best and brightest at any college.

[easeup-2009]

Iran is just positioning herself for President Obama.

Iran won''''t give Bush the satisfaction of a successful agreement, nor will they give it to McCain.

But, for President Obama, they''''ll eagerly agree to a negotiated agreement.

Posted by tuckerndfw at 12:44 PM : Oct 03, 2008

Wow. That''s all I can say about that post.

[petro49l]

Tehran has missiles, use of Russian satellites, and atomic science. The Irani Army could fire a thermo-nuclear warhead at an American target in Afghanistan. George W. Bush is attempting to raise war tension with Iran for a higher oil price on Saudi oil. Bush''s loyalty is only to OPEC, not America.

[stevex47]

Ha,
Maybe Iran has been willing to deal on nuclear issues all along, but not on nuk-u-lur issues, which in Iranian language(sp) is something totally different.

Maybe it''s been miscommunication all along, lol.

[urboydigger]

and don''t call me shurely

[TommyCraig]

Maybe they want to keep things consistant.

Can you say NUCLEAR ?
Posted by samsel3 at 08:05 AM : Oct 03, 2008
It may be her accent. She is a communication major (journalism). I would be quite shure she knows the difference.

[samsel3]

Can you say Consistent???????????

[samsel3]

Can you say Nuclear?

In last nights debate Sarah Palin used the word nukular 13 times. She mispronounced the word the same way GW Bush does. Was GW coaching her withsome kind of speech therapy for the debate?


Maybe they want to keep things consistant.

Can you say NUCLEAR ?

[samsel3]

Just alot of posturing. Iran does not need nuclear weapons, they have China & Russia to protect them.

Russia has multiple nuclear power plant contracts with Iran. These plants are currently under construction.

Reuters uk January 18, 2008 : " Iran has some awesome colleagues. Russia and China have become guardians of the Iranian economy. They don%u2019t put religion between business and political advantages. The US is sorely lacking in intelligent Foreign Policy. Hitler%u2019s Foreign Policy has been resurrected to serve the needs of an oil agenda and turn the US into the most disrespected and despised world power ".

[samsel3]

McAngry won`t do that.
Posted by Nancy_Naive at 05:55 AM : Oct 03, 2008

Have you noticed McAngry s on-camera makeup job lately? It appears that some funeral parlor mortician is doing the job.........