World Powers Weigh Options Against Iran
By EDITH M. LEDERER
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Experts from the United States and five other powers leading efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear program plan to meet within the week following a U.N. report that Tehran has expanded its uranium enrichment program.
China's deputy U.N. ambassador, Liu Zhenmin, said the talks will focus on how to bring Iran back to negotiations and what the Security Council could do if Tehran doesn't budge. Paris was a possible location for the meeting.
The council imposed sanctions on Iran in December for refusing to suspend enrichment, and modestly increased them in March after Tehran stepped up the program, which can produce nuclear weapons. Iran responded by giving the U.N. nuclear watchdog less access to its nuclear facilities.
The restricted report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, obtained by The Associated Press, not only said Iran's enrichment program was expanding, it also warned for the first time that the agency's knowledge of Tehran's nuclear activities was shrinking.
Those findings could lead to fresh sanctions, but Security Council members said the six nations - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - would first weigh their options.
The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, is hoping to meet with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, at the end of the month, possibly in Madrid.
``I think efforts are being made to encourage the Iranians to talk,'' Liu said.
The key countries have been consulting through different channels, he said, and ``I think the six will have another meeting at experts level by the end of the month.''
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Thursday, May 24, 2007
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