EU Accuses Iran Of Nuclear Designs

The European Union is accusing Iran of having documents that serve no other purpose than making nuclear arms and will warn it later Thursday of possible future referral to the U.N. Security Council, according to a statement made available to The Associated Press.

The press statement, made available before release to other media, was described by a diplomat as a summary of what Britain, France and Germany would tell a closed session of the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which started meeting Thursday. It criticizes Tehran for possessing suspicious documents that "have no other application than the production of nuclear weapons."

The statement offered new negotiations meant to defuse tensions over Tehran's insistence that it be in full control of uranium enrichment, a possible pathway to nuclear arms.

"But Iran should not conclude from this that the board or the EU is prepared to give Iran a blank check," said the statement, meant for delivery by Peter Jenkins, the chief British delegate to the IAEA.

"Failure to make progress" on easing international concerns about Iran's nuclear program "will hasten the day when the board decides that a report to the Security Council must be made," said the statement,

The European Union also reserves the right to call an emergency board meeting before the next scheduled gathering in March, for possible Security Council referral, "if Iranian behavior makes it necessary," said the statement.

The statement alluded to new revelations of concern contained in a report drawn up for the board meeting by IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei, including a finding showing the Iranians in possession of what appeared to be drawings of the core of an atomic warhead.

But the main issue is Iran's refusal to give up its right to enrichment, which can be used to generate power but also to make weapons-grade material for nuclear warheads. Iran says it wants only to make fuel, but international concern is growing that the program could be misused.

A plan floated in recent weeks foresees moving any Iranian enrichment plan to Russia. There, in theory, Moscow would supervise the process to make sure enrichment is only to fuel levels.

But Iran insists it wants to master the complete fuel cycle domestically. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters in Tehran on Wednesday that, while his country was willing to resume formal talks with key European powers on its nuclear program, "naturally we aim to have enrichment on Iran's territory."

Currently, Iran's enrichment program is frozen. But negotiations between Iran and France, Britain and Germany, the so-called "EU-3," broke off in August after Iran restarted a linked activity, the conversion of raw uranium into the gas that is used as the feed stock in enrichment.

While the Americans and Europeans publicly insist they want a negotiated solution with Iran on enrichment, they have acknowledged in background conversations that they would expect additional support from nations now opposed to Security Council referral if Tehran continues to dig in its heels.

In a sign that some of those key nations were now listening to U.S. and European concerns, American and European officials have divulged that Washington and its European allies are gradually enlisting Chinese support on how to deal with Iran and its suspicious nuclear activities.

Beijing's backing would add additional clout to an ambitious international Iran strategy that recently has seen Russia join the Americans and Europeans in pressuring Iran to give up technology that could make nuclear arms.

For months, Iran has relied on Beijing and Moscow to fend off a U.S.-backed push to have it hauled before the U.N. Security Council. While the Americans and Europeans have opted not to lobby for referral at Thursday's meeting of the IAEA board, they could resume their efforts at a later board session if they judge that the Russians, Chinese and other key nations will not stand in their way.

A European official told The AP that "the Chinese are very, very constructive and on board with the (U.S.)-European position" engaging Iran on giving up uranium enrichment, while indirectly keeping the possibility of Security Council action alive.

In Beijing on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters that his country did not think "it is appropriate now to refer this question to the U.N. Security Council."

ElBaradei, in comments to the board meeting in Vienna, suggested, he, too, opposed referral, for now, calling for "robust verification" of Iranian nuclear activities, combined with "active dialogue."

"Clarification" of aspects of Iran's nuclear program "is overdue, after three years of intensive verification efforts," he said.

The EU statement made available to the AP said Iran's "failure to provide full transparency ... continues to undermine its claim that its program is exclusively peaceful in nature." part of referral opponents to listen to the U.S.-European strategy.