Looks like the response Iran gave may have been more positive than we expected. Lets hope diplomacy wins out and all parties can amicably come to an agreement.
Maybe this may begin to kickstart the UCL share price.
Cheers
Iran says it's willing to resume talks
Tuesday, August 22, 2006; Posted: 4:10 p.m. EDT (20:10 GMT)
Ali Larijani, right, meets with ambassadors in Tehran. Image:
Iran's top nuclear negotiator said his country is willing to return to serious talks on its nuclear program as early as Wednesday, Iranian media reported Tuesday.
However, Ali Larijani did not address the sticking point of whether the Islamic republic will halt its nuclear activities first.
"Although there is no justification for the other parties' illegal move to refer Iran's case to the Security Council, we prepared the answer to the proposed package positively," Larijani said, according to Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA.
Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, was responding to a package of incentives offered by the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members plus Germany in June, IRNA reported.
"Despite ambiguities on many cases, we tried to pave the way for fair talks with a logical and positive approach; and despite other parties' breach of commitments, the Islamic Republic of Iran has proposed a constructive course to the P5+1 group," Larijani said, according to IRNA.
Larijani formally delivered Iran's response to the ambassadors of Germany, France, Britain, Russia, China and Switzerland during a meeting in Tehran.
Switzerland is representing the interests of the United States because Washington does not have diplomatic ties with Tehran.
U.N. reviewing Iran's offer The full response, which has not been made public, is being "carefully" studied, according to U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton.
The United Nations is demanding Iran halt its nuclear activities before negotiations, which stalled earlier this year, can continue.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only and has rejected the U.N. stipulation.
If the response "doesn't meet the terms set" by the six nations the Security Council will proceed with levying economic sanctions against Iran, Bolton said.
"If, on the other hand, the Iranians have chosen a path of cooperation ... then a different relationship with the United States and the rest of the world is possible," he said.
Iran still has until the end of the month to formally respond to a U.N. resolution demanding it stop its nuclear program and allow full inspections or face a move to impose economic sanctions.
Iranian officials in recent days have already rejected the resolution, saying they are within their rights to build a nuclear energy program despite fears from the West that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons.
Bolton said the United States and the rest of the U.N. Security Council will not respond to "rhetoric" and will wait for Iran's formal response.
While the United States supports sanctions, other permanent members of the Security Council, who hold veto power, are not fully on board. Russia and China have voiced opposition to such action.
Talks with European negotiators stalled earlier this year when Iran ended its voluntary cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, halting snap inspections of its nuclear facilities and beginning small-scale uranium enrichment.
The U.N. Security Council voted on July 31 to give Iran until the end of August to freeze its uranium enrichment program.
Iranian leader blasts Bush Without mentioning sanctions, President Bush on Monday warned that Iran will suffer consequences if it does not abide by the U.N. resolution.
"In order for the U.N. to be effective, there must be consequences if people thumb their nose at the United Nations Security Council," Bush said during a news conference. "And we will work with people in the Security Council to achieve that objective.
"And the objective is that there's got to be a consequence for them basically ignoring what the Security Council has suggested through resolution, Bush said."
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tuesday directly condemned Bush's comments, warning that the United States and other "arrogant powers will ... be humiliated" as Israel was in Lebanon, Iranian media reported.
"This person [Bush] speaks as if he is the master and owner of Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Iran and other Muslim states," Khamenei said, according to Iran's state-run broadcaster, IRIB.
Iran missile tests to continue Iran says it also plans to continue a series of military tests, which it began Saturday.
On Sunday, the Iranian military test-fired its Saeqeh [Thunderbolt] missiles and surface-to-water missiles in southwestern Khuzestan Province, which adjoins Iraq, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kiumars Heidari told IRNA.
The exercises will be conducted in 16 provinces in southern, southwestern and western parts of the country during the coming days, IRNA reported.
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