Iran delivers letter, but no response to 5+1 demands
Published: Tuesday, August 05, 2008
13:30GMT—9:30AM/EST
IRAN – NUCLEAR – FREEZE – LETTER
Washington, 5 August (IranVNC)—Iran’s officials today said that Tehran has delivered a message to EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, but emphasized that the message was not a response to a P5+1 “freeze-for-freeze” offer.
“The document which was submitted to Solana, is not Iran’s response to the 5+1 package of proposals,” Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency quoted an unnamed official from Iran’s National Security Council as saying.
Reuters also quoted a senior Iranian official as saying that the letter was “not an answer” to the offer, and adding: “The letter does not mention the freeze-for-freeze issue.”
Iranian officials said the message, reportedly delivered by Iran’s envoy in Brussels, was “the transcript of the recent telephone conversation” between the two men, ISNA reports.
Solana and Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, yesterday held what Solana spokesperson has called “inconclusive” talks over the phone.
After the talks, ISNA reported Jalili as saying that Iran would issue a written response the following day.
US State Department Gonzalo Gallegos today told reporters that Solana’s office had not been able to confirm that Iran had delivered any response to the EU.
The six powers – the U.S., Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – have asked Iran to suspend its nuclear activities in exchange for a pledge from the powers not to impose any new sanctions through the United Nations Security Council.
Yesterday, the U.S. and the UK warned that Iran would face tighter economic sanctions if it failed to give a positive and clear answer to the six powers’ offer by Tuesday.
The Security Council has passed three resolutions since 2006 imposing sanctions against Iran for its defiance of international demands that it halt its sensitive nuclear work, which the West suspects is aimed at building a nuclear weapon.
Tehran has denied the charge, saying its nuclear activities are aimed solely at generating peaceful nuclear energy.
According to ISNA, Jalili and Solana are expected to speak again by telephone in the next two days.
Gallegos also announced that the six world powers would hold a conference call tomorrow to decide how to proceed in the dispute with Iran, AFP reports.
Sources: ISNA in Persian, Reuters, AFP
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