Three EU powers propose new UN resolution on Iran

Europeans distributed on Thursday a draft UN resolution that threatens to consider sanctions if Iran fails to suspend uranium...

Europeans distributed on Thursday a draft UN resolution that threatens to consider sanctions if Iran fails to suspend uranium and plutonium enrichment work at a yet undecided date in August.

But Iran said again it would not reply until August 22 to the offer of commercial and technological incentives if it curbs its nuclear ambitions.

Tehran threatened to 8216;8216;reconsider its nuclear policies8217;8217;, presumably a withdrawal from the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty NPT, if 8216;8216;the path of confrontation is chosen,8217;8217; according to a statement by Ali Larijani, secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council.

The draft resolution, distributed to the 15 UN Security Council members by France, Britain and Germany, has not yet been approved by Russia and China, who earlier submitted amendments that would weaken some provisions.

No vote has been set and US Ambassador John Bolton said junior diplomats from Germany and the permanent five council members with veto power8212;the US, Britain, France, Russia and China8212;would negotiate further.

Bolton, who did not give his view on the draft, said the US could perhaps serve 8216;8216;as a bridge8217;8217; between the Europeans and Russia and China.

The European draft 8216;8216;decides8217;8217; that Iran 8216;8216;shall suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development and suspend the construction of a reactor moderated by heavy water.8217;8217;

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The suspension is to be verified by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the document says.

It 8216;8216;expresses its intention8217;8217; if Iran does not comply with the resolution to adopt measures under Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which relates to economic and diplomatic sanctions but excludes any military force.

At a July 12 meeting in Paris, all six countries agreed Iran had given no indication it would engage seriously on the incentive package offered by major powers in early June and referred the issue back to the Security Council.

Iran is building a heavy-water nuclear reactor at Arak, 190 km southwest of Tehran. Western nations are concerned the plant8217;s plutonium by-product could be used to produce nuclear warheads.

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Russia8217;s UN Ambassador Valery Churkin suggested August 31 as a date for Iran to comply with the resolution and indicated Moscow was not in a hurry to adopt the document.

8216;8216;We are not in a rush at all,8217;8217; Churkin said on Wednesday. 8216;8216;We do not want to ambush Iran in any way. We do not want to dictate things to Iran.8217;8217; But he made clear the six could not wait forever for Tehran8217;s response.

8211;Evelyn Leopold