Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, said on Wednesday that Iranian nuclear negotiators have definitively and officially told Europeans that Iran will never accept a permanent halt to its enrichment programme. "Iran's negotiating team has openly told Europeans Iran will not accept a permanent suspension of uranium enrichment and this is Iran's definitive and official position," Rowhani said to the members of Experts' Assembly of clerics who appoint the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic.He asked Europeans not to be influenced by political pressures from the United States and "not to disrupt the confidence-building process between two sides," state television reported. The two sides are to convene on March 23 for a high-level steering committee meeting, and Tehran hopes to see an agreement on "a formula that recognizes the right of Iran to continue enrichment and lifts the concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme," Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi told a press conference on Tuesday. "In exchange, the Europeans have to give firm guarantees that open the path towards greater cooperation in the fields of politics and investment," Kharazi said.
Meanwhile, President George W. Bush said Wednesday he expects Iran to be brought before the UN Security Council if it rejects economic incentives to give up a nuclear program that the United States says is intended for weapons. Asked at a news conference about a possible military conflict with Iran, Bush said diplomatic efforts are just beginning. "There's a certain patience required in order to achieve a diplomatic objective and our diplomatic objective is to continue working with our friends to make it clear to Iran we speak with a single voice," he said. The United States agreed last week to support European talks with Iran by dropping opposition to Iranian membership in the World Trade Organization and to allow the sale of some spare parts for civilian aircraft.
Iran has already indicated it would reject the offer. Kharazi, said Tuesday that that the incentives might improve foreign relations, but won't stop his country from pursuing a nuclear program it says is for generating electricity. But Bush said, "we're waiting for an Iranian response." "The understanding is, we go to the Security Council if they reject the offer. And I hope they don't. I hope they realize the world is clear about making sure that they don't end up with a nuclear weapon," he said.