CNN, Washington, 06 August 2008 (excerpts) — Iran’s response to the international community’s offer of incentives in return for cutbacks in its nuclear program is not acceptable, two senior U.S. officials told CNN Tuesday.
“It’s another non-answer,” a senior U.S. official said of a statement issued by Iran Tuesday in response to the offer. “It doesn’t say anything. They are still pretending they are responding.”
Top Iranian negotiator Saeed Jalili sent the one-page document on Tuesday to European Union foreign policy Chief Javier Solana in response to the council’s proposed incentives, officials said.
The council had offered to suspend sanctions against Tehran in exchange for a suspension of its uranium enrichment activity, which the international community fears could contribute to the production of a nuclear weapon.
The document says the Iranians are “ready to provide a clear response” to the offer as soon as the world powers that tendered it “provide a clear response” to questions posed by Iran in a paper it submitted last month at talks in Geneva.
“It doesn’t seem to be what we are looking for,” one senior U.S. official said, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the diplomacy involved.