Iran ready to compromise over revised NPT wording

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iran's objections to language calling for "full compliance" to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on Wednesday led organizers at a meeting reviewing the pact to postpone the next session to give time to search for a compromise. At issue is Teheran's refusal to accept a phrase calling for the "need for full compliance with" the treaty. That position has delayed adoption of the agenda since the conference, meant to work on tightening up the treaty, opened Monday. Conference chairman Yukiya Amano told delegates that the meeting would not hold its scheduled morning session on Wednesday but would reconvene only in the afternoon, to allow time for more "consultations" on the language of the text. Earlier in the day, Iranian chief delegate Ali Ashgar Soltanieh had said his country was ready to drop its objections if the statement on compliance was expanded to specify that it also applied to disarmament by nations that have nuclear weapons.