Iran says pressure won't 'bear fruit'

Alissa J. Rubin, Los Angeles Times | June 3rd 2006

VIENNA -- Iranian political and religious leaders sounded defiant yesterday in the face of the accord between major world powers demanding that Iran suspend its nuclear program in exchange for incentives, but stopped short of saying they would reject the deal.

Much of what was said repeated past statements, and none of it addressed specifically the incentives and penalties agreed to Vienna on Thursday by permanent UN Security Council members and Germany.

Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said international pressure ``would not bear fruit," and obliquely accused Israel of being behind the effort to censure Iran, in comments to the official Iranian news agency.

None of this surprised European diplomats, who said the Iranians are masters of brinkmanship, making their diplomatic moves at the last possible minute. The diplomats said it was crucial not to jump to conclusions about Tehran's position.

European officials have been negotiating intermittently for two years with Iran to seek a permanent halt to its uranium enrichment program. The talks broke off early this year when the Iranians restarted enrichment at their plant at Natanz.

In a major concession to its longstanding refusal to meet with Iran, the Bush administration earlier this week agreed to join European negotiating efforts. On Thursday, Russia and China signed on as well to a deal designed to give Iran a choice between engagement with the world community if it gave up its uranium enrichment-related activities and isolation if it did not.

The hope is that negotiations will now restart with Iran, but the outcome is far from clear.

At the Friday prayer , which signals the stand of the country's powerful religious leaders, who shape certain aspects of Iranian politics, clerics slammed the United States but said almost nothing about the offer.

``The USA constitutes the largest danger on international security," said leading cleric Ahmed Khatami at the prayer. His other comments seemed designed to bolster Iranian confidence, reminding people of the country's resourcefulness in the face of the decades-long embargo by the United States and the ravages of the 1980-88 war with Iraq.

``Iran was exposed during the past 27 years to an economic embargo, whose effect was great for Iran since the country was [trying to] develop in the science and technology fields. . . . But Iran changed the crisis into an opportunity," he said, referring to Iran's efforts to foster homegrown scientific and engineering expertise.

As for threatening Iran with military action, a move the United States has stepped away from in recent comments, Khatami reminded worshipers that ``Iran endured eight years of war which was imposed upon it" by Iraq. His comments were broadcast to Iranian satellite channels in Baghdad.

Western powers contend that Iran wants the capability to build a nuclear bomb, but Tehran insists it seeks to enrich uranium only to fuel civilian nuclear power plants.

The package of incentives will be offered to Tehran probably early next week by a delegation of European diplomats, who may be joined by representatives of other permanent Security Council members, most likely Russia and China, diplomats said yesterday.

Details of the offer were not disclosed because diplomats said they wanted to present it first to Iran. But it said to combine promises of economic and technological aid and security guarantees with a commitment to forgo action by the Security Council against Iran if the country suspends its nuclear activities.

The United States would not be part of that delegation because it broke off diplomatic relations with Iran after 52 Americans were taken hostage in Tehran in 1979. It would resume contact only after Iran agreed to the terms of the negotiation and suspended uranium enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.

There had been some hope that the signals from Iran would be a little more positive, but many diplomats expected the initial note of defiance. Others cautioned, however, that if, as many Westerners suspect, the Iranians are seeking to make a nuclear weapon, it will be difficult for them to agree to suspend all enrichment-related activities, including centrifuge operations. Centrifuges used in the process are delicate mechanisms, and halting them often causes breakage.

``If they are really after a weapons program they can't say yes. . . . They could say yes if they are prepared to stop. But they would have to open everything, and when it comes out there is something, it will be difficult," said a European diplomat in Vienna.

``But it's a chance for the Iranians," the diplomat added.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that Tehran must respond quickly. Otherwise, she made clear Iran would face UN sanctions.

The United States announced earlier this week that it would enter direct talks with Iran if it agrees to suspend enrichment. Rice continued to hold out the hope yesterday that she might meet with the Iranian foreign minister.

Rice asserted that Russia and China, which have been most opposed to threatening Iran with sanctions, were now in full support of robust penalties for Tehran if it does not scale back its program.

President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia yesterday welcomed the US offer of direct talks with Iran, saying, ``This is a very important step, which gives the whole process a new dimension."

Putin cautioned, however, that it was premature to speak of sanctions against Tehran. ``It is necessary to conduct a thorough discussion with the Iranian leadership," he said.

Material from the Associated Press was included in this report.

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