Iran could rebuff Europe after UN resolution

Iran is threatening that it will break a promise to respond by 22 August to the EU's offer of incentives to stop nuclear enrichment.

The threat was made in reaction to a resolution from the United Nations Security Council on 31 July calling on Iran to stop suspect nuclear activities by the end of August.

Iran had already refused to comply with the EU's wishes for a response before the G8 summit in mid-July, but promised a response by 22 August.

On 1 August Iran indicated that the EU's proposal, delivered to Tehran by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on 6 June, was now null and void.

Hamid-Reza Haji-Babaei, a leading member of the Iranian parliament, was quoted by the government-backed Islamic Republic News Agency, saying that the UN resolution "virtually broke down talks".

The Security Council resolution gave Iran until 31 August to suspend enrichment and other nuclear activities.

The EU and the US suspect nuclear enrichment is a cover for building a nuclear weapon.

The sanctions foreseen do not include military action, but are likely to include a ban on Iranian officials travelling abroad and a freeze on Iranian assets.

EU diplomats this week admitted that attacks by Israel and Hizbullah had, as one put it, "drawn attention way from the Iranian dossier", easing pressure on Iran.

But the diplomats said that this would not allow Iran to dodge the issue in the light of the Security Council's agreement.

In a lengthy message on Wednesday (2 August), Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not mention the nuclear dossier, but focused exclusively on events in the Levant.

Iran is threatening that it will break a promise to respond by 22 August to the EU's offer of incentives to stop nuclear enrichment.