US Prods Iran to Respond to Nuclear Offer
22 June 2006
A senior U.S. official has called on Iran to quickly respond to a U.S.-backed offer of incentives aimed at resolving the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program.
U.S. National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley said Thursday Washington would like a response before June 29, when foreign ministers of major countries are scheduled to meet in Moscow.
Following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Geneva, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Thursday, Iran is seriously considering the international offer.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday Tehran would respond by August 22, a period which President Bush later described as "an awful long time."
Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema, who met his Iranian counterpart in Rome, says he does not think Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons.
On Wednesday, President Bush again pledged that the United States is willing to join international talks on the matter if Iran first suspends uranium enrichment.
Speaking in Vienna after a one-day summit with European Union leaders, Mr. Bush said the major world powers are united in the effort to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The five permanent U.N. Security Council members, and Germany approved the package of incentives for Iran, offered in exchange for Tehran suspending uranium enrichment and returning to talks on its nuclear program.
The U.S. and Europe believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons - a charge Tehran denies.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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