Iran sanction talks produce no result

6-nation talks end with no consensus; ElBaradei: Teheran not close to developing a nuclear weapon.

By AP, JPOST.COM STAFF
Iran Nuclear 224.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Iran Nuclear 224.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Senior diplomats from six world powers discussed on Monday the possibility of imposing new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, but they failed again to reach consensus on how or whether to continue, US officials said. Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Muhammad ElBaradei said Monday that Iran is not close to developing a nuclear weapon. The talks among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - along with Germany came after the Chinese dropped objections to the consultations, the officials said. China had blocked the discussion for almost two weeks, apparently in retaliation for US arms sales to Taiwan. The United States had been trying to organize the telephone conference call since the beginning of the month after the Security Council, in late September, passed a new resolution to reaffirm three previous rounds of sanctions on Iran but imposing no new penalties that the United States and its European allies had sought. On the call, the diplomats said "they remain committed to the dual-track strategy and will remain in close contact on developments over the coming days and weeks," said deputy State Department spokesman Robert Wood. He would not discuss details of the conversation. The dual-track strategy is the main element of a slow-moving pressure campaign to persuade Iran to give up objectionable parts of its nuclear program. It would offer to Iran incentives to stop enriching uranium but threatens sanctions if Teheran should continue to refuse, which it has done thus far. Russia and China have balked at additional sanctions. IAEA head ElBaradei said Monday that the Islamic Republic was far from developing nuclear weapons, even if it wished to do so. "They do not have even the nuclear material, the raw unenriched uranium to develop one nuclear weapon if they decide to do so," he said. In late September, ElBaradei - in unusually strong comments - warned that he could not determine whether Iran is hiding some nuclear activities, saying its stonewalling of his investigators was a "serious concern."