Iran’s top official in talks to end nuclear standoff

IRAN has said its top nuclear negotiator and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana will hold their next talks on ending the nuclear standoff on July 19, despite Western concern over the test-firing of several missiles by Tehran.

“They are to continue their negotiations about the package on Saturday, July 19” in Geneva, said Ahmad Khadem al-Melleh, spokes-man for the secretariat of Iran’s supreme national security council, according to the state-run IRNA agency.

World powers last month presented Iran with a package aimed at ending the five-year-old nuclear crisis, notably offering Tehran technological incentives in exchange for suspending the sensitive process of uranium enrichment.

“The trip of Dr Jalili to Geneva is taking place after the world powers welcomed the continuation of the talks on common points in the two packages that have been proposed,” the spokesman added.

Iran has proposed its own package — a more all-embracing attempt to solve the problems of the world including the nuclear standoff — and has made much of the common ground between the two proposals.

The French foreign ministry has, however, confirmed Iran does not say in its response it is prepared to suspend uranium enrichment, which world powers say they fear could be used to make a nuclear weapon.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is aimed solely at generating energy for a growing population whose fossil fuel reserves will eventually run out.

Tensions over the nuclear standoff surged again in the past two days after Iran test-fired a broadside of missiles — including one it says brings Israel within range.

Other US officials played down the significance of the tests, saying that no new hardware was shown.

In contrast, the European Union has expressed concern and said the tests would compound worries over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“These missile tests can only compound the worries of the international community,” said a statement from the French EU presidency, which urged Tehran to “achieve a negotiated solution to the nuclear issue“.

Yesterday, the White House said the Iranian missile tests did not change the US determination to resolve the crisis diplomatically.

Asked if the US was more concerned after the tests, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said: “I would just characterise it as continued Iranian defiance of international obligations... but I don’t think that we are anywhere off... the course that we have been on, which is trying to solve this diplomatically.”