Global Security Newswire

Israeli President Shimon Peres yesterday endorsed U.S. efforts to engage Iran in negotiations aimed at halting that state's disputed nuclear efforts, the Associated Press reported (see GSN, May 5).

Israel, the United States and some European powers have expressed concern that specific Iranian atomic activities could support nuclear-weapon development, but Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is strictly civilian in nature.

After meeting with President Barack Obama, Peres expressed assurance that Washington would protect Israeli interests and prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear bomb.

"As long as the goal is clear, why not try all means?" Peres said. "If you can achieve it by engagement, God bless you."

Peres did not suggest how Israel or the United States could react if diplomatic efforts failed or if an Iranian nuclear bomb seemed imminent. "As long as they don't exclude any option, let ... the United States select the order of things," he said.

Although the Israeli president's remarks appeared to rule out a possible U.S.-Israeli divide on Iran, the agreement between Washington and Jerusalem could be more thoroughly tested when conservative Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Obama later in May, according to AP (Anne Gearan, Associated Press/Google News, May 5).

The United States should limit its attempts at diplomatic outreach to three months, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said today.

"It is important for the dialogue with Iran to be limited in time," Lieberman's office quoted him as saying, according to Agence France-Presse. "If after three months it becomes clear that the Iranians are buying time and not halting their nuclear program, the international community will have to take practical steps against them" (Agence France-Presse I/Spacewar.com, May 5).

The United States is aware that time for diplomacy is limited, Vice President Joseph Biden said yesterday in a presentation before a group that lobbies on behalf of Israel, AFP reported.

"We are intensely focused on avoiding the grave danger ... of a nuclear-armed Iran," Biden said. "A nuclear-armed Iran risks an arms race in the region that would make every country less secure."

"What we have tried with Iran in recent years has obviously not worked. What will work remains to be seen," he said, referring to the Bush administration's refusal to hold talks with Iran unless Tehran first halted its uranium enrichment program, an effort that can produce nuclear power plant fuel but also nuclear bomb material.

"Instead of arresting the danger, in the last six years the danger has grown," Biden said. "That's why we will pursue direct, principled diplomacy with Iran with the overriding goal of preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons. We want Iran to take its rightful place in the community of nations" (Agence France-Presse II/Yahoo!News, May 5).

Iran yesterday denied it was putting off multilateral nuclear talks with the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany until after its June presidential election, the Tehran Times reported.

“The election issue, as an internal matter, has nothing to do with macro issues,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said. “Macro issues are not affected by elections.”

Iranian nuclear policy would not be significantly affected by the election's results, Qashqavi said, adding that major presidential contenders have defended the country's right to develop civilian nuclear energy capabilities (Tehran Times, May 5).