Iran seen impervious to world nuclear offer

By Alistair Lyon, Special Correspondent - Analysis

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's response to the latest offer of incentives by world powers shows no willingness to meet their core demand for a freeze or suspension of activities that the West suspects are part of a secret nuclear bomb program.

The deadlock means Iran, which says its nuclear work is purely peaceful, is likely to face more sanctions, even if these are not imposed by the U.N. Security Council, diplomats said.

"There is no give on the substance whatsoever," said a Western diplomat familiar with Iranian Foreign Minister Manoushehr Mottaki's written reply to the package transmitted by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana last month.

Seemingly conciliatory remarks by some Iranian officials and a relatively public debate in Tehran over how best to respond had sparked speculation about a possible Iranian policy shift.

But the Iranian government said at the weekend it had no intention of discussing Iran's "right to enrich uranium".

The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany had proposed formal negotiations on their package, which includes help to develop a civil nuclear program, if Iran suspended enrichment. Enriched uranium can be used to fuel power plants and, if refined much more, to make nuclear bombs.

In a separate letter meant to smooth the path to such talks, the world powers had also offered to freeze measures to toughen sanctions if Tehran froze any expansion of its nuclear work.

The diplomat said Mottaki's letter on Friday had merely offered talks on "common points" contained in the international package and an earlier Iranian proposal to settle the dispute.

"It's the minimum necessary for them to be able to claim they are engaging constructively and have not rejected the offer or approach out of hand," the diplomat added.

The hardline Kayhan newspaper also said Mottaki had offered talks on "common points", adding: "Since the suspension of uranium was not a common point of the two packages, it could naturally not be regarded as one of the points of negotiation."

Solana said in Paris on Monday he had accepted a request for a meeting from Iran's chief nuclear negotiator and expected it to take place this month. Western diplomats said such a meeting would not in itself brake momentum for more sanctions.

MIXED SIGNALS

Iran has held to its "red line" on uranium enrichment while sending signals in contrast with its frequently combative tone.

Mottaki himself spoke at the weekend of a "new environment" for diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program.

"We hear new voices in America. We see new approaches, and we think that the rational thinkers in America can, based on these new approaches, seek reality as it is. We are ready to help them in this endeavor," he told CNN.