Russia-Iran plan under US threat

As the board meeting entered its second day, German representatives met their counterparts from France and UK8212;which both back the US in opposing the plan8212;to try to re-establish a common European stance on enrichment, said the diplomats.

A European official, in Vienna for the meeting, said that ultimately the plan would fail if the Americans opposed it.

The dispute, which surfaced in the last few days, was driving a wedge into joint international efforts to wean Iran of all enrichment activity by moving it to Russia, thereby reducing its potential for misuse by Tehran as a way of making nuclear arms.

The Russian proposal carried to Washington yesterday by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would allow the Iranians a still to be defined 8220;research and development8221; capacity8212;including the 20 centrifuges.

The diplomats said International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei backed the plan.