U.N. Powers Differ on Iran Nuclear Incentives

Six world powers and the European Union failed to resolve differences today over proposed updates to an offer of diplomatic and financial incentives intended to persuade Iran to halt activities that could support nuclear weapons development, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, April 15; Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, April 16).

The daylong meeting in Shanghai followed Iran’s announcement last week that it plans to expand its uranium enrichment program, the Associated Press reported (Cara Anna, Associated Press I/MSNBC, April 16).

“We discussed how to conduct dialogue and negotiations with Iran,” said Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei.  “We have agreed on most points in the proposal, however there are some outstanding issues that remain to be resolved (see GSN, April 11).

“As soon as an agreement is reached on this proposal … it will be referred to the Iranian side and at that time we hope the Iranian side will respond positively to it and make its own contributions to a proper settlement,” he said, adding that the powers should agree on “a comprehensive, durable and proper solution” that would address Iran’s diplomatic, financial and nuclear energy concerns. 

He did not specify a timetable for restarting talks with Iran, which says its nuclear program is intended for energy production (AFP I).

China has attempted to show initiative in addressing the international stalemate over Iran’s disputed nuclear activities, but Beijing remains concerned that it could upset oil export arrangements with the Middle Eastern country, Reuters reported today.

“With this balance of interests, it’s difficult to imagine China being a place for breakthroughs,” said Shen Dingli, a nuclear politics specialist at Fudan University in Shanghai.  “The equation of interests won’t change and China isn’t some magical place to solve problems.  But it’s important to show that China is part of the international mainstream on these issues.”

China and Russia are together pressing new incentives to encourage Tehran to suspend its disputed nuclear work (Chris Buckley, Reuters I, April 16).

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today that Iran is willing to engage in nuclear talks if the opposing sides do not challenge Tehran’s nuclear rights in the discussions.

“The Iranian nation is after talks and negotiations but negotiations in a logical and just framework and in line with the fundamental rights of nations,” Ahmadinejad told an Iranian audience in an address broadcast on state television.  He added that Tehran would not concede “one iota” of its nuclear entitlements, but said he would not immediately comment on Iran’s ongoing nuclear standoff with Western powers (Zahra Hosseinian, Reuters II, April 16).

In the United States, Republican presidential contender John McCain said on MSNBC’s “Hardball” yesterday that he would exert significant nonmilitary pressure on Iran to abandon its controversial nuclear work.

“I believe we can act with nations with values and principles that we hold dear and exercise enormous pressure — diplomatic, trade, financial,” the Arizona senator said.

To take military action against Iranian nuclear sites, McCain said he would have to put forward an “even more convincing argument that it was necessary to do so because of our failure to find weapons of mass destruction” following the 2003 Iraq invasion, an action justified largely by alleged Hussein regime WMD capabilities that later proved nonexistent.

“There’s a little credibility gap” because of Bush administration claims on Iraq, McCain said (Andy Sullivan, Reuters III, April 15).

Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton yesterday called for direct negotiations with Iran and criticized the Bush administration’s approach of isolating the country.

“The approach that the Bush administration has taken toward Iran has been a loser.  It has neither changed behaviors [nor] produced results,” according to the New York senator.  “I’ve advocated both that carrot and that stick, and I think that would be what I (would) take to try to create the beginning of lower levels of diplomatic engagement, some ongoing process” (Andy Sullivan, Reuters IV, April 15).

Meanwhile, U.S. national security adviser Stephen Hadley and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni today discussed Iran’s nuclear program during a meeting in Jerusalem, AFP reported.

The discussion addressed “the necessity of continued international action to increase sanctions" against Iran, according to a Foreign Ministry statement (Agence France-Presse II/NASDAQ.com, April 16).

Gen. Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, Iran’s deputy army chief, said in Tehran yesterday that his nation’s military would retaliate forcefully following any Israeli attack, AP reported.

“Should Israel take any action against Iran, we will eliminate Israel from the scene of the universe,” he said.

Tensions between the nations have risen since Ahmadinejad said in 2005 that Israel would someday be “wiped off the map.”  Iran possesses nuclear-capable missiles that could reach Israel (Ali Akbar Dareini, Associated Press II/International Herald Tribune, April 15).

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