Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, right, presents Iran's package of proposals for new talks with the West to the ambassador of France, Bernard Poletti, center, Russian ambassador, Alexander Sadovinkov, second left, and the Swiss ambassador, Livia Leu Agosti, who represents US interests in Tehran, in a gathering in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009. Iran presented world powers on Wednesday with a proposal for new talks with the West, though Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ruled out negotiations over the central issues of his country's controversial nuclear program. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki gave a package of proposals to diplomats representing the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) (Vahid Salemi - AP)
WASHINGTON -- American officials said Thursday that Iran's latest proposal for talks with the West falls well short of satisfying international demands that it detail its nuclear program.
With a U.S.-imposed September deadline for Iran looming, the officials said the Obama administration remains open to talks and held out hope that Iranian officials might signal a similar interest by the time world leaders meet later this month at the U.N. General Assembly.
President Barack Obama warned the fundamentalist Iranian regime earlier this year that the U.S. wanted to see a positive response to its overtures by the end of September. If not, Obama said the U.S. was prepared to press for new sanctions against Iran.
The American officials warned on Thursday that time was running out and dismissed Iran's response as disappointing.
"It is not really responsive," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters. "Iran reiterated its view that, as far as it is concerned, its nuclear file is closed. That is certainly not the case. There are many outstanding issues."
Another official familiar with the proposal submitted by Iran Wednesday said it reworked previous Iranian suggestions for talks with six nations - the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing diplomatic discussions, said Iran's "Proposal for Comprehensive and Constructive Negotiations to Deal with International, Security and Economic Issues" did not address the U.S. offer for engagement.
The proposal also did not respond to the six countries' offer of concessions in exchange for a suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment and reprocessing. The Iranians made no specific mention of concerns about its nuclear program, the official said. He said the Iranians would be tested to determine whether they are serious about engagement.
Senior diplomats from the six countries trying to launch negotiations with Iran spoke by conference call on Wednesday about Iran's proposal and were to have a second round of talks on Friday.
The U.S. officials said the administration would like to have a consensus by the time the foreign ministers of the six countries meet in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in the third week of September, when Obama is also slated to chair a meeting of the Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation.
The officials said it was not clear when the group might decide how to proceed. Russia and China have in the past blocked attempts to impose additional sanctions on Iran. That means the United States and its European allies may have to go forward with their own penalties outside the U.N. system.
Iranian state radio, reporting on the proposal on Wednesday, said that "Iran is ready to ... help ease joint international concerns over the nuclear issue," but it did not elaborate.
It said Iran aims to reach a "comprehensive agreement based on collective goodwill to achieve long-term cooperation and strengthen regional and global peace and security based on justice." It added that the package looks at issues "beyond the nuclear file," including crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
But Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country will neither halt uranium enrichment nor negotiate over its nuclear rights.
In Vienna, the headquarters of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Glyn Davies, the chief U.S. envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Thursday that Washington sincerely hoped Iran would engage "constructively" and "specifically" over its nuclear program.
Davies said Wednesday that the United States assesses that Tehran is either very near or already in possession of sufficient low-enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon, if the decision were made to further enrich it to weapons-grade.
Those comments were echoed on Thursday by a U.S. intelligence official who said the administration continues to believe that Iran is on the path to developing a nuclear weapon, but has not yet made the decision to do so. The administration thinks Iran could have the capability to produce a nuclear warhead sometime between 2010 and 2015.
The intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. assessments of Iranian capabilities, said American knowledge of the Iranian nuclear program is expanding and new assessments have been shared with administration officials.
Experts said such comments appeared aimed at persuading Russia and China of the need to act.
"Well, it's a way of ratcheting up pressure on Iran and at the same time building up a coalition against Iran," said Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "The principle problem is the lack of political unity."
David Albright, president and founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, agreed.
"I think they want to show Iran has achieved a certain threshold," Albright said. "It's a way to argue with Russia and China that Iran is moving quickly."
With a U.S.-imposed September deadline for Iran looming, the officials said the Obama administration remains open to talks and held out hope that Iranian officials might signal a similar interest by the time world leaders meet later this month at the U.N. General Assembly.
President Barack Obama warned the fundamentalist Iranian regime earlier this year that the U.S. wanted to see a positive response to its overtures by the end of September. If not, Obama said the U.S. was prepared to press for new sanctions against Iran.
The American officials warned on Thursday that time was running out and dismissed Iran's response as disappointing.
"It is not really responsive," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters. "Iran reiterated its view that, as far as it is concerned, its nuclear file is closed. That is certainly not the case. There are many outstanding issues."
Another official familiar with the proposal submitted by Iran Wednesday said it reworked previous Iranian suggestions for talks with six nations - the U.S., Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing diplomatic discussions, said Iran's "Proposal for Comprehensive and Constructive Negotiations to Deal with International, Security and Economic Issues" did not address the U.S. offer for engagement.
The proposal also did not respond to the six countries' offer of concessions in exchange for a suspension of Iranian uranium enrichment and reprocessing. The Iranians made no specific mention of concerns about its nuclear program, the official said. He said the Iranians would be tested to determine whether they are serious about engagement.
Senior diplomats from the six countries trying to launch negotiations with Iran spoke by conference call on Wednesday about Iran's proposal and were to have a second round of talks on Friday.
The U.S. officials said the administration would like to have a consensus by the time the foreign ministers of the six countries meet in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in the third week of September, when Obama is also slated to chair a meeting of the Security Council on nuclear non-proliferation.
The officials said it was not clear when the group might decide how to proceed. Russia and China have in the past blocked attempts to impose additional sanctions on Iran. That means the United States and its European allies may have to go forward with their own penalties outside the U.N. system.
Iranian state radio, reporting on the proposal on Wednesday, said that "Iran is ready to ... help ease joint international concerns over the nuclear issue," but it did not elaborate.
It said Iran aims to reach a "comprehensive agreement based on collective goodwill to achieve long-term cooperation and strengthen regional and global peace and security based on justice." It added that the package looks at issues "beyond the nuclear file," including crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.
But Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said his country will neither halt uranium enrichment nor negotiate over its nuclear rights.
In Vienna, the headquarters of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, Glyn Davies, the chief U.S. envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Thursday that Washington sincerely hoped Iran would engage "constructively" and "specifically" over its nuclear program.
Davies said Wednesday that the United States assesses that Tehran is either very near or already in possession of sufficient low-enriched uranium to produce a nuclear weapon, if the decision were made to further enrich it to weapons-grade.
Those comments were echoed on Thursday by a U.S. intelligence official who said the administration continues to believe that Iran is on the path to developing a nuclear weapon, but has not yet made the decision to do so. The administration thinks Iran could have the capability to produce a nuclear warhead sometime between 2010 and 2015.
The intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. assessments of Iranian capabilities, said American knowledge of the Iranian nuclear program is expanding and new assessments have been shared with administration officials.
Experts said such comments appeared aimed at persuading Russia and China of the need to act.
"Well, it's a way of ratcheting up pressure on Iran and at the same time building up a coalition against Iran," said Simon Henderson of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "The principle problem is the lack of political unity."
David Albright, president and founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, agreed.
"I think they want to show Iran has achieved a certain threshold," Albright said. "It's a way to argue with Russia and China that Iran is moving quickly."
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