U.N. Proposes Freeze Deal To Iran

The U.S. and its allies are awaiting an Iranian response to a proposal that would commit the U.N. Security Council to hold off on new sanctions on Iran if Tehran stops further development of its uranium enrichment program, diplomats said Friday.

In continuing efforts to restart nuclear talks with Iran, the public stance by Washington and its key backers remains a full enrichment freeze; Iran not only would have to stop expanding its capacities, but would also need to stop reprocessing nuclear material and building equipment used for that process.

But the offer reflects readiness to accept Iran's relatively advanced enrichment program — at least initially — in hopes of creating an atmosphere that reduces tensions and paves the way for renewed multilateral negotiations that aim at a long-term freeze and a rollback of the activity.

It picks up on the idea first brought up by Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency who called for a "time out" both on enrichment and further U.N. sanctions.

Diplomats told The Associated Press earlier this month that — while the United States was initially reserved — the idea was floated by its allies, Britain, France and Germany as a possible way of easing the deadlock over enrichment and creating a climate that could support permitting a resumption of talks on the issue.

On Friday they said that Britain recently drafted a proposal that had been submitted earlier this month on behalf of the United States, the three European powers, China and Russia — the six powers on the forefront of engaging Iran on nuclear issues — by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to Ali Larijani, Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator.

"Sadly they did not (yet) take it up," said a European diplomat familiar with the issue, suggesting, however, that the offer remained on the table.

"It would only be a time out because it is limited," he said, saying the Security Council would not indefinitely accept the status quo, with Iran continuing present enrichment activities.

But another diplomat suggested the offer went even further, indicating Iran's readiness to stop expanding its program could lead to negotiations instead of just easing the task of Solana and Larijani, who have met three times since May in hopes of creating the conditions for such talks.

"The 'freeze for freeze' is an apparent precondition for the negotiations," said the second diplomat who — like others who talked with The Associated Press demanded anonymity because the issue was confidential. "But the ultimate goal remains long-term suspension."

There have been other encouraging indications of movement on the nuclear impasse. Iran recently pledged to answer key outstanding questions on nearly two decades of nuclear activities — most of it clandestine until revealed by a dissident group four years ago.

"The British proposal, although not a formal draft yet, certainly gives a face-saving way out for all sides and gives diplomacy a chance to work," said CBS News foreign affairs analyst Pamela Falk, "but it is not the compromise that Tehran was seeking and it will require Iran to reverse course on their statements that a freeze of its enrichment program is not an option."

Besides demanding an enrichment freeze — and a stop to construction of a plutonium-producing reactor — the Security Council has called on Iran to provide answers to the International Atomic Energy Agency on activities that could be linked to a weapons program and has slapped two sets of sanctions on Tehran because of its defiance.

While the key issue remains enrichment, any follow-through by Iran on its decision to share sensitive information with the IAEA could feed sentiment for a compromise that would allow it to retain some elements of its enrichment program.

Officials told AP last month that Iran had considered stopping some — but not all — of its enriched-uranium producing centrifuges last year in exchange for negotiations. But the U.S., Britain and France continued to insist on a full freeze.

The issue gained in importance last month when ElBaradei sent a report to the Security Council that says Iran has expanded its enrichment activities instead of freezing them — a finding that could act as a trigger for a third set of sanctions.

The compromise derives from a Swiss proposal under which Iran would not expand its enrichment work in exchange for the Security Council not imposing further sanctions while diplomats pursue a resumption of formal negotiations.

Multilateral talks with Iran broke off in August 2005 after Tehran rejected an offer of political and economic incentives in exchange for a pledge for long-term suspension and resumed its enrichment activities.

Since then, Iran has repeatedly said an enrichment freeze was out of the question while the six world powers insisted they would accept nothing less as a condition for resuming negotiations.

Iran's ultimate stated goal is running 54,000 centrifuges to churn out enriched uranium. It now has more than 3,000 operating and producing small low-enriched quantities that can be used to generate power — which Iran says is its only goal. But concerns that Tehran might decide to process uranium to weapons-grade material that is suitable for the fissile core of nuclear warheads led last year to Security Council involvement.

"Iran did freeze its program several years ago, but now maintains that it is looking for other options, such a Consortium of nations to work with them on their nuclear program," Falk said, "but with oil rationing, oil smuggling, and violence in the streets, Iran may feel some form of compromise, if not precisely this one, is in their interest."

"The British proposal comes at a time when Venezuela's Hugo Chavez is visiting Russia and Iran to unite forces and squeeze U.S. oil and gas companies out of their markets, which may be the reason that the Bush administration also finds it in the U.S. interest to forge a path to break the impasse," Falk said from the U.N. Friday.