Iran to hear final nuclear offer

[Somali_Patriot]

Iran to hear final nuclear offer

 

Iran denies claims that it wants to build nuclear weapons

European states are to offer Iran a final chance to provide assurances that its nuclear energy programme is not aimed at acquiring weapons.

France, the UK and Germany are to offer incentives at talks in Vienna just over a month before the United Nations rules on whether or not Iran is co-operating.

 

Iran has said it will reveal its own proposals to reduce concern once it sees the European offer in writing.

 

It has insisted it will not agree to demands to abandon uranium enrichment.

 

Abandonment of enrichment - a key process for the production of atomic bombs - is a key demand on the European side.

 

The United States has led international concern over Iran's intentions, questioning why a country rich in oil and gas deposits would require nuclear energy too.

 

Iran test-fired a long-range missile on Wednesday in what appears to have been a deliberately timed show of military strength a day before the talks in Vienna, the BBC's Frances Harrison reports from Tehran.

 

Reactor offer

 

Foreign ministry officials from the three European countries are due to meet an Iranian envoy at a secret location in Vienna to avoid media attention, diplomats told AFP news agency.

 

They [the Iranians] flare off way more gas every year than they could get energy from nuclear power plants

 

Richard Boucher

US state department

The Austrian capital is home to the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is due to rule on 25 November on the level of Iran's co-operation.

 

A negative decision could lead to the issue being referred to the UN Security Council with the threat of sanctions.

 

According to a document leaked to news agencies, incentives likely to be offered on Thursday include an offer of nuclear technology such as a light-water reactor in return for proof that Tehran is not covertly trying to build weapons.

 

The US state department has queried the wisdom of offering Iran - which largely relies on Russia for its programme - further new technology.

 

Speaking to reporters, spokesman Richard Boucher remarked:

 

"We don't see the economic or any other rationale for a country like Iran to try to generate power with nuclear energy, given that... they flare off way more gas every year than they could get energy from nuclear power plants of the kind that they're talking about."

 

Pre-condition

 

Iran's top delegate to the IAEA, Hossein Mousavian, said on Wednesday the Vienna negotiations would fail if Iran was not allowed to keep control of the entire nuclear cycle.

 

 

Iran says it has increased the range of the Shahab-3 missile

"If the demand is going to be that Iran give up the nuclear fuel cycle, one should not pin any hope on the talks," he said.

 

It is not clear what Iran's counter-proposals to resolve the international tensions might be, our correspondent says.

 

Iranian President Mohamed Khatami has been saying his country will render any kind of co-operation to prove to the outside world it is not moving towards a weapons programme.

 

But he said his country's "legitimate rights... to nuclear technology" had to be respected.

 

Missile test

 

Iran test-fired an improved version of the Shahab-3 ballistic missile on Wednesday.

 

The weapon, which Iran says has an increased range of 2,000km (1,250 miles), was tested in front of observers, said Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani.

 

The missile is thought to be able to carry a nuclear warhead and its increased range would put Israel within its sights, our correspondent notes.

 

Defence experts say it is normal to refine a missile's range and accuracy with several firings. The last reported test was during military exercises in August.