Iran gives ground on US plan

Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has stated that Iran will accept unconditional talks with all parties involved, including the United States.

However, he was keen to stress that Iran will not stop enriching uranium. Iran stopping the enrichment of uranium was Bush's precondition to the talks taking place, so I'm slightly puzzled by this morning's papers writing of this as a major breakthrough.

'We think that, if there is goodwill, a breakthrough to get out of a situation [the EU and US] have created... is possible,' Mottaki told a press conference. 'We think the views we will present our partners could prepare the ground for a comprehensive understanding.'

The papers are this morning reporting this as Iran stepping back from the brink, quoting a Parisian diplomat as saying, "It's very early days but hopefully it's a vindication of our strategy."

State-run television reported that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had told UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that a deal was feasible, provided Tehran kept a minimum right to atomic energy.

The EU's foreign affairs chief, Javier Solana, is due to arrive in Tehran today or tomorrow to hand over the most recent negotiating offer - the first backed by all major Western powers. Details of the deal have not been made public, but it is believed to include massive assistance with a civilian nuclear programme and a series of major trade concessions. If Iran rejects it, there is the possibility of sanctions, and eventually of military action.

If the deal includes helping Iran with a civilian nuclear programme then there is no way that Iran could reject it. This is what they have always said they wanted.

However, this could be all Sunday newspaper talk. I notice that there are no quotes from either the US or the UK teams over any of this.

Indeed, many American papers are running with the story of how the US offer of face to face meetings only came about when Rice reported back to Bush that the coalition regarding Iran was falling apart.

It's quite obvious that Bush does not have the support of the international community regarding Iran. He is obviously running out of options and one can only hope that this optimistic reporting is well founded.

It matters not by what circuitous route the two sides end up round a table, only that they eventually do so.

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Tags: Bush, Iran, US, UN, diplomacy, Ahmadinejad, nuclear, Condi, Bolton, Security Council, Sanctions, negotiations, face to face, talks,