Permanent Five, EU and Germany Mull Iran Nuclear Offer

The international community was considering its options Wednesday after Iran responded to an offer aimed at ending a nuclear crisis with a call for "serious talks" but no indication it would freeze uranium enrichment as demanded by the UN Security Council.

Europe said Iran's response Tuesday required careful analysis as signs of a split began to emerge among world powers over how to respond, with the United States pressing for sanctions and China appealing for patience.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he would remain in contact with the Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, adding that the Iranian document "requires a detailed and careful analysis."

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy put it stronger by tying the resumption of talks to a suspension of Iranian nuclear activities.

"What I know is that the resolution 1696 ... tells Iran it must stop all uranium enrichment by Aug. 31," he told reporters. "As we have always said ... a return to the negotiating table is tied to the suspension of uranium enrichment."

Ready for 'serious' talks

Larijani said Tehran was ready for "serious talks" but no details were made public of its response to a package of incentives offered by world powers in return for a moratorium on enrichment by an Aug. 31 UN deadline.

The response is "obviously disappointing as it overlooks the key condition," a Tehran-based Western diplomat told AFP. "Iranians signal they want serious talks, but they do not appear to be willing to make significant concessions."

An Iranian official confirmed Tehran's refusal to suspend enrichment, despite the risk of UN sanctions, but insisted: "We can discuss all the items of the proposal; this is a sign of flexibility on Iran's part."

A right to technology

Washington suspects the nuclear program is a cover for an attempt to produce a bomb. Enrichment can make fuel for nuclear power stations or be extended to create the core of atomic weapons.

However, Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, insists it is purely for peaceful power generation and that it has the right to the technology as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Tehran gave the written response to representatives of the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany, which drew up the package of trade, technology and security incentives.

Economic sanctions looming

The United States began urging punitive action while Russia said it was important to explore "nuances" in Iran's response and Tehran's major trade partner China said sanctions were not the way to resolve the crisis.

"We will obviously study the Iranian response carefully," said John Bolton, the US ambassador to the United Nations. "But we are also prepared -- if it does not meet the terms set -- to proceed here in the Security Council... with economic sanctions."

Russia, which is building Iran's first nuclear power plant, said it would continue to press for a political solution and wanted to keep the UN nuclear watchdog -- not the Security Council -- at the center of the process.

Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin told Interfax news agency that "Russia will continue with the idea of seeking a political, negotiated settlement concerning Iran's nuclear program."

Meanwhile, a Chinese foreign ministry statement said that "we also hope that other parties concerned will remain calm and patient, show flexibility, stick to the orientation of peaceful resolution and create favorable conditions for resuming talks as soon as possible."