Iran appears yet unsatisfied with the level of compensation proposed for it halting its nuclear ambitions, writes Rasha Saad The US reiterated its call this week to impose UN censure on Iran after the latter declined to respond to an offer of incentives aimed at ending the nuclear standoff. Washington, which accuses Tehran of secretly working to build nuclear weapons, had demanded a clear Iranian response by next weekend's Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations summit in Russia, or face possible UN Security Council action. The US response came after the EU expressed "disappointment" with Tuesday's Brussels meeting between Ali Larijani, chief Iranian negotiator, and EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana where Iran failed to give any response to the offer. Expectations for a breakthrough at the talks, however, had been low, as Iran has repeatedly said it would not be ready to reply before mid-August. Major powers, whose foreign ministers were meeting in Paris as Al-Ahram Weekly went to print, had previously stated that Iran's rejection of the 6 June offer would re-initiate debate in the UN Security Council on how to further enhance political pressure on Tehran. Britain, for one, expected clarity. "Ministers when they meet tomorrow will have to take a decision as to what that means for the resolution on the table," British UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry said. However, it is not clear where this strategy will lead. On the one hand, Iran has not actually rejected the offer; on the contrary it hailed it as "broadly acceptable", asking only for more time to study it. On the other hand, the Iranian nuclear file has been debated for some months in the Security Council with world powers failing to reach a consensus on how to deal with it. Russia and China, which have veto power, have made it clear they oppose sanctions and have already blocked every attempt to issue a formal resolution against Iran. In fact, the incentives offer was an attempt at achieving a breakthrough in a deadlocked council. In this context, a top French official ruled out setting a new deadline for Iran during the upcoming G8 summit, arguing that France was reluctant to set any ultimatums, viewing them as counterproductive. The deal on the table would reportedly trade economic benefits, nuclear expertise and reactors in exchange for a pledge by Iran to suspend uranium enrichment activities. The detailed contents of this offer were not publicly revealed, nor was it clear in what way this offer is better than the one made in 2004 by the EU and welcomed by Iran, though it failed to materialise and lead to a break in Iranian-EU nuclear talks. The sticking point in the 6 June offer, according to the Iranians, is that it includes "ambiguities" that require clarification. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one Iranian official said: "For example, they (Western powers) offer us (Iranians) a reactor, but it's not clear which country is giving it, which company, and can the government oblige those companies to give Iran those reactors if pressured by the United States," the official added. He added that Solana "was unable to respond to all questions" posed by the Iranian delegation and that he would "need to obtain a mandate" from the six powers to do so. However Solana's spokeswoman rejected these statements, saying all questions posed to Solana were answered. A EU diplomat, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the offer presented to Iran contained proposals that any agreement would be deposited with Vienna-based UN atomic energy watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and be endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution. Some analysts believe that Iran's defiant stance is so much a sign of it holding onto its nuclear programme as much as it is a tactic of gaining the highest price for halting it. They contend that Iran has been saying that its nuclear programme is a non-negotiable issue of sovereignty while, at the same time, negotiating and rejecting every offer presented to it. "Iran today is acting like a carpet seller; it is seeking the highest bidder for its carpet. The latest offer from the international community is yet another price offer," argues Abdul- Rahman Al-Rashed in the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. According to Al-Rashed, beyond ending the US embargo -- which has been in place since the early days of the Islamic revolution -- Iran wants more. European countries, Al-Rashed explains, have guaranteed they will assist Iran in developing its petroleum technology, thereby providing it with additional fuel power and relieving it of the need for nuclear power. This, Al-Rashed contends, will provide Iran with enormous revenue at a time when the country needs every dollar it can get. "Tehran is awaiting the sweetest reward the West can offer in order to stop a programme that is both financially costly and militarily dangerous. We are currently witnessing Tehran's cunning bargaining in action. It will not cease unless the army's artillery is on its shores or the incentive sufficient," the analyst concludes.
