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UN gives Iran list of uranium demands

Financial Times
By Mark Huband in London and Mohsen Asgari in Tehran
Published: October 31 2003 19:02

The United Nations nuclear watchdog has sent Iran a detailed list of demands aimed at ending its uranium enrichment programme, but diplomats expect only slow progress on the issue despite hopes an agreement will be signed next week to allow intrusive inspections of Iran's nuclear sites.

The deadline passed on Friday for Iran to give the International Atomic Energy Agency a detailed account of how it assembled its nuclear programme. Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA director general, said: "Iran has submitted what [it] assured me to be a comprehensive and accurate declaration" of its nuclear programme.

Iran is also expected to send a letter of intent to the agency early next week, committing itself to the Additional Protocol, allowing IAEA inspections of its sites.

The Iranian declaration, expected to be made public on November 7 or 10, is understood to show the omissions in Iran's previous statements about its nuclear programme. A senior Iranian official confirmed on Friday that the document named the countries that supplied Iran with nuclear material.

However, according to a senior official close to the negotiations, Iran is still discussing with the agency the activities it will halt as part of its agreement reached on October 21 to suspend uranium enrichment.

During negotiations in Tehran last week, the foreign ministers of the UK, France and Germany made clear all activities related to the enrichment programme had to be suspended. Hassan Rohani, secretary general of Iran's Supreme Council of National Security, eventually agreed to this.

In a letter to the Iranian authorities sent on Wednesday, the IAEA said that fully to suspend enrichment and related activities, Iran must suspend uranium enrichment; suspend the installation and operation of centrifuges; suspend laser enrichment; and suspend any construction of plutonium separation capabilities.

But a senior official close to the negotiations said on Friday: "We have yet to see anything being suspended, and the acid test will be in the implementation."

The agreement reached by Mr Rohani with the European foreign ministers is regarded by analysts and diplomats as significant because Iran's national security council groups include both reformers and conservatives, who achieved consensus on the nuclear issue.

However, popular sensitivity to the nuclear question remains strong. Negotiators are aware that suspension of the enrichment programme will depend upon the Iranian leadership portraying any agreement as being in Iran's national interest.

Thousands of Iranian hardliners demonstrated in several cities on Friday against the government's actions. The focus of conservative anger has been on the agreement to sign the Additional Protocol, regarded as allowing foreigners to pry into issues that have been portrayed as undermining the country's sovereignty.

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1066565542154

Iran pledges to clear up nuclear problems as key hardliner falls into step

Spacewar.com
TEHRAN (AFP) Oct 31, 2003

Iran pledged Friday to clear up all ambiguities over its nuclear programme as a leading conservative opponent of Iran's acceptance of international demands for tough new safeguards fell into line.
Iran's ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency emphasized his country's cooperation in answering all questions the nuclear watchdog has about Tehran's nuclear activities.

"The wish of the Islamic Republic of Iran is that there be no ambiguous points for the IAEA, and we will do everything necessary so that the next report presented to the (IAEA) governing council is positive," the student news agency ISNA quoted Ali Akbar Salehi as saying.

Salehi said that IAEA experts currently in Iraq would stay until late Sunday.

"We have responded to all their questions and tried to clear up everything that seems important to them," he said.

"We hope that ... Iran's nuclear activities will turn a new page, resulting in cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, and between Iran and the European Community," he added.

Earlier in a sharp U-turn, Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, a key aide of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the regime had acted with wisdom in accepting the demands of the IAEA before the UN watchdog's deadline ran out Friday.

"This decision is that of the whole regime," Janati told worshippers at the main weekly prayers in Tehran.

"Incontestably, those who took this decision took into account the country's interests and are familiar with all the sensitivities of the dossier," said Janati, who just weeks ago demanded that Iran withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether rather than accept demands to sign its additional protocol.

In a reference to some 1,500 hardliners demonstrating outside the mosque against the regime's climbdown, Janati called on the faithful to avoid "adopting positions on matters you do not fully understand."

Janati heads the Guardians' Council, a constitutional watchdog body that is one of the bastions of conservative power here, and his views carry weight across Iran's religious right.

As they have done every Friday in recent weeks, the protestors chanted: "Death to America, death to Britain," and denounced the regime's concessions to the international community as a "humiliation".

Janati attached a single caveat to his comments, warning the European brokers of Iran's change of heart that they must keep their side of the bargain.

"If the European side does not keep its word, all of Iran's commitments will be null and void," he warned.

In return for Iranian pledges to suspend uranium enrichment and sign up to the snap inspections of nuclear sites demanded by the additional protocol, Britain, France and Germany agreed to provide technical assistance for civil energy production, understood to include supplies of fuel.

Salehi for his part said, "If we continue with this attitude, the Europeans will certainly implement their commitments."

He added that certain US leaders had welcome the cooperation process between Iran and the IAEA, which would "represent a model of cooperation and of understanding for other (countries)."

Ahead of Friday's deadline set by the IAEA last month, Iran handed over a massive report on its nuclear programme, which IAEA director general ElBaradei said Thursday "at first glance ... looks comprehensive."

But it has yet to actually suspend uranium enrichment or formally notify the IAEA of its intention to sign the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty allowing snap inspections of suspect sites.

Iran's archfoe, the United States, has since expressed some scepticism about the Islamic regime's readiness to deliver on its undertakings.

An official of Iran's reformist-led government earlier rejected suggestions the regime might renege on its commitments to the international community.

"When we make an undertaking at the international level, we respect it," the official said, asking not be identified.

"We have handed over a full, clear and detailed report (on our nuclear activities). At the moment our cooperation (with the IAEA) goes beyond that required by the additional protocol.

"Once we have actually signed it, we will work within the framework laid down by the protocol."

http://www.spacewar.com/2003/031031162004.ehychnob.html

UN to study Iran nuclear dossier before acting

Independent
By Vanessa Gera in Vienna
01 November 2003

A deadline for Iran to prove that it was not building nuclear weapons expired yesterday. But the UN agency which imposed the deadline said that it would not take action as it was still analysing documents which were submitted on 23 October by Tehran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), based in Vienna, gave Iran until 31 October to prove that its nuclear activities were for the generation of electricity. The US claims that Tehran is building a weapons arsenal.

Iran submitted a dossier to the IAEA containing information about its nuclear programme. Melissa Fleming, a spokeswoman for the agency, said that it was unable to judge whether the country had complied with the demands because experts had not yet verified the report.

She said: "There is still a tremendous amount of work to be done."

Mark Gwozdecky, an agency spokesman based in New York, said that experts were matching information provided by Iran with evidence collected on the ground. "Iran says they've done what's called for under the resolution," he said. "While it looks comprehensive at first glance, we don't take anything at face value, and our people are in Iran visiting sites, interviewing personnel, taking samples. We're using satellite imagery, all with a view to coming up with our own independent conclusion on the accuracy of their declaration."

He said that the findings would be in a report which was issued to IAEA board members on 10 November

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=459360

Top Iranian MP confirms detention of academic
The head of the Iranian Parliament's national security and foreign policy commission has confirmed the arrest and detention of a Iranian-American academic on suspicion of spying, the state news agency IRNA reported.

Mohsen Mirdamadi, a reformist, said he had been informed by the intelligence ministry that Dariush Zahedi - who lectures at the University of California in the United States, was arrested several months ago while on a visit to Tehran.

But Mr Mirdamadi said that after an investigation, the intelligence ministry concluded the academic was not a spy and should be released, although this has been rejected by the hardline-run judiciary and Mr Zahedi was now being held by a "parallel intelligence service".

"After the intelligence ministry investigated the possibility of espionage activity, they found nothing on him and decided he should be freed," Mr Mirdamadi told IRNA.

"But the judiciary did not follow the advice of the ministry of intelligence, and they took him and gave him to one of the parallel intelligence apparatuses."

Mr Mirdamadi warned that Mr Zahedi may confess to spying "under pressure [and] after serving a long time in solitary confinement", and advised the judiciary that it could not risk another death in custody case.

The spotlight is currently on the Iranian judiciary and its rivals in the intelligence service over the death of Zahra Kazemi, a photographer who had dual Iranian-Canadian citizenship.

The United States has also voiced concern over the fate of Mr Zahedi, who colleagues say has been held in Tehran's Evin prison for three months.

Mr Zahedi was born in Iran and emigrated to the United States as a teenager.

He is an expert on Iranian politics and is director of the West Coast operations of the American Iranian Council.

Iran's foreign ministry said earlier it was looking into reports that he had been detained after receiving inquiries into the matter from Mr Zahedi's mother.

-- AFP

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s980247.htm

Top Cleric Says Iran's "Red Lines" Still Exist over NPT Protocol

October 31, 2003
Islamic Republic News Agency
IRNA

Tehran -- Senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said that Iran’s accepting to sign the additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was a decision that Iran had made to pass the crisis, stressing however that Iran’s "red lines" still exist over the issue.

Jannati, delivering a sermon at Friday prayers, said the officials had exercised the necessary prudence and expediency in making the decision, stressing that no ill-intention was involved in the case. "Yet, our ‘red lines’ still exist.

"No one can say anything to harm Iran’s independence, security, dignity and sovereignty," he told worshipers at Tehran University Campus.

The French, German and British foreign ministers arrived in Tehran on October 20 in a lightning visit at Iran’s invitation to provide Iran with consultations over signing the NPT protocol.

The Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Hassan Rowhani, announced later in the day that Iran was determined to take necessary measures for joining the protocol by November 20th.

Earlier last month, the Expediency Council chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said that Iran had certain conditions for signing the NPT protocol, stressing that these conditions may be the same as those of the US.

Rafsanjani intimated in his sermon at Tehran Friday prayers that Iran’s signing of the protocol must not jeopardize its security, values and sanctities, and that it must not lead to investigation of issues that are not related to nuclear energy.

Jannati, who is also the head of the supervising Guardian Council (GC), stressed that Iran’s commitment toward the agreement with Europe over the issue of the NPT protocol depends on whether France, Germany and Britain stick to their commitments.

"If the European party fails to live up to its commitments, the commitments that we made should be in turn regarded as cancelled," he said. "EU cannot threaten us by political games and force us to do what they, themselves, never do nor believe in."

Jannati pointed to the recent remarks by some US officials that the White House is not after toppling Iran, stressing that such positions are not new to Iran. "We have experienced this issue hundreds of times. We never become happy over a smile of the enemy, nor will we be frightened by its anger," he said to the chants of "Death to America," and "Death to Israel".

The GC head further recalled the new US charges against Iran over the issue of human rights, stressing that this is part of the efforts by Washington leaders to seek pretexts against Iran. "No country in the world violates human rights as much as the US and Israel do," Jannati said. "The US is faced with difficult conditions in Iraq. And the atrocities by Israel against the Palestinians are increasing day by day."

http://www.irna.ir/#2003_10_3114_59_479

Shell's Activity in Iran Restricted

November 01, 2003
IranMania

TEHRAN -- “The activities of Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company will be restricted in Iran.” said an informed official in an interview with ILNA (Iran Labor News Agency) adding: “One of the main factors behind the restriction is the probable involvement of the Shell Oil Company in revealing Iran’s classified information including the country’s peaceful nuclear energy activities.”

In response to questions posed by ILNA’s correspondent, Shell Director General, Robert Wiener said: “As part of the plan on regionalizing Shell’s exploration and production departments, the company will transfer some of its staff in Iran which is in line with improving the performance of the company.”

“But the news on the company abandoning new projects in Ira is baseless. Presently Shell is negotiating with Iran’s National Oil Company on future projects, the Persian LNG project in particular.”

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=19257&NewsKind=Business%20%26%20Economy

Iran-EU Nuclear Deal: an Achievement with a Potential Poison Pill

October 22, 2003
The Washington Institute
Patrick Clawson

The October 21 deal between Iran and the European trio of Britain, France, and Germany has the potential to significantly reduce the risk of Iran producing a nuclear weapon from highly enriched uranium (HEU)assuming the accord is implemented strictly and on a tight timetable. Yet, HEU is only one of two routes to a nuclear weapon; the other is plutonium. The Iranian-European deal makes more likely completion of Irans Bushehr nuclear power plant, which will produce spent fuel that could be easily reprocessed in order to extract plutonium. Given that risk, this sort of dealpermitting completion of Bushehr in return for Tehrans pledge to abandon uranium enrichmenthas been rejected by the United States for the past eight years. Indeed, the Clinton administration consistently pressured Russia, largely unsuccessfully, to reject such an arrangement as too dangerous. The Bush administration now faces the choice of affirming its predecessors opposition to a Bushehr deal or supporting it in the name of transatlantic solidarity.

The Plutonium Risk Unaddressed or Increased

Nuclear weapons can be made from either plutonium or HEU (e.g., the former was used for the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, and the latter for the Hiroshima bomb). Yesterdays agreement does little to address the plutonium risk; indeed, it could increase that risk.

Until February 2003, the greatest U.S. concern about Irans nuclear program was that Tehran could readily obtain plutonium if the Bushehr nuclear power plant were completed. Once activated, Bushehr would use low-enriched uranium for fuel; after 12 to 18 months, the reactor would begin to produce spent fuel containing plutonium. Processing spent fuel to extract plutonium is a chemical process that would not necessarily require any imported equipment.

Since at least 1995, the United States and Russia have engaged in testy discussions about how to approach this problem. Washington has long promised that it will provide incentives to Russia if Moscow agrees not complete construction of Bushehr. Moscow has insisted that it could complete the plant at minimal proliferation risk because it would monitor the spent fuel carefully and return it to Russia. Yet, spent fuel is so radioactive that it often has to sit in cooling ponds for years before it can be transportedhence, the material would be vulnerable to Iranian diversion. As Russian president Vladimir Putin pointed out on October 21, regardless of the new European deal, Russia will not ship fuel to Iran until Tehran agrees to tighten restrictions on it. To date, Tehran has insisted on ridiculous terms for such an agreement (e.g., demanding compensation for giving up spent fuel even as other countries spend billions to isolate the material as waste).

The Iranian-European agreement has disturbing implications regarding Tehrans future access to plutonium. Under the terms of the deal, Iran agrees to suspend processing (presumably of spent fuel), but this concession has no practical value because Iran has not yet built a processing facility. On the issue of Bushehr, the language of the communique announcing the agreement is vague and could be seen as legitimizing completion of the plant: The three governments believe that this [agreement] will open the way to a dialogue on a basis for longer term cooperation which will provide all parties with satisfactory assurances relating to Irans nuclear power generation programme. Once international concerns, including those of the three governments, are fully resolved Iran could expect easier access to modern technology and supplies in a range of areas.

These statements imply that Bushehr can be completed. At best, then, the agreement undercuts the U.S. position and puts Britain, France, and Germany on Moscows side of the ongoing U.S.-Russian dispute. The situation may be even worse, however. Various Iranian and international media reports have suggested that the Europeans discussed the possibility of helping with Bushehr by providing nuclear fuel. If that is indeed the price paid for yesterdays agreement, it would be too high by far.

The Enriched Uranium Risk Reduced

The great accomplishment of the Iranian-European agreement is that Tehran has pledged to suspend all uranium enrichment activities. International concern about Iranian enrichment rose sharply after discoveries during February 2003 International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. To the surprise of U.S. and other intelligence agencies, the inspectors found that Iran had built 160 sophisticated centrifuges designed for uranium enrichment; an additional thousand centrifuges were in assembly, and facilities were under construction to house tens of thousands more. Iran claimed that it would only use the centrifuges to produce low-enriched uranium, which is the fuel used by Bushehr. Since then, Iran has announced that it has in fact begun enriching uranium with the centrifuges. Subsequent IAEA inspections found traces of weapons-grade HEU including some in a facility that Iran had insisted was never used for enrichment.

Since February, a crisis has emerged due to Irans inconsistent and unconvincing explanations regarding its enrichment program. Hence, most analysts thought it highly unlikely that Iran would agree to stop enrichment. If implemented strictly, the Iranian-European agreement is a big step in this direction, and the European negotiators have reason to be proud. Yet, the agreement only addresses the enrichment problem uncovered in February. At best, then, the deal sets the clock back to January 2003, leaving unresolved all of the international communitys concerns about Irans nuclear program up to that point.

The Iranian-European communique is a statement of principles, not a plan for action. It contains many phrases that Iran could interpret in ways that would gut the substance of the agreement. For instance, does Irans pledge to suspend uranium enrichment mean that it has agreed to stop building the centrifuge facilities in which enrichment would be performed, or has it merely agreed not to activate the centrifuges once they are built? And does Irans agreement to engage in full cooperation with the IAEA really entail a change in behavior, given Tehrans insistence that it has been offering such cooperation for years? On these and other points, further clarification is necessary to transform the communiques fine language into concrete, verifiable steps. The grave danger is that Iran may be, in the words of an editorial in Londons Financial Times, just throwing sand in the IAEAs eyes to blind the world to its bomb-making ambitions.

Next Steps for the United States

On November 20, the IAEA board will discuss whether Iran has provided the full accounting of its nuclear program that the board demanded of it by October 31. Tehran will not be on track toward a full accounting unless the Iranian-European agreement is made more specific in three areas:

• a tight timeline for implementation of Irans important but imprecise promises, including its pledge to resolve all outstanding issues regarding its past activities;

• precise definition of the obligations that Iran has accepted via the communiques lofty language; and

• adoption of an inspection and monitoring program to verify Iranian compliance.

If Iran stalls on these items, Washington may wish to press the IAEA into seeking assistance from the UN Security Council. Meanwhile, the United States can urge Europe to use yesterdays agreement as a springboard to dismantle all Iranian enrichment facilities.

Reaching consensus on the plutonium risk will require Washington to more actively explain its concerns that a nuclear power plant could provide a ready source of fissile material. Through Irans commitment to suspend processing activities, yesterdays agreement provides an opening for enhanced monitoring of Bushehrs fuel. At best, however, improved monitoring and inspection would give a warning time of only a few weeks or months if Iran diverted spent fuel to extract plutonium. Given Irans track record of mass casualty attacks via terrorist groupswitness the 1983 Beirut Marine barracks bombing or the 1996 Khobar Towers bombingit would only be prudent to consider other options. As Bushehr nears completion, the United States will need to enhance its deterrence against Iran.

Patrick Clawson is deputy director of The Washington Institute.

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/watch/Policywatch/policywatch2003/797.htm

Pakistan-Iran accord on gas pipeline removes concerns

Saturday, November 01, 2003 - ©2003
IranMania.com

TEHRAN, Nov. 1, IRAN NEWS -- The understanding reached between Iran and Pakistan on the proposed gas pipeline during Pakistani prime minister's recent Iran visit has removed some of the concerns about depleting Pakistani gas resources, IRNA reported citing Islamabad-based The Nation newspaper.

The newspaper noted Pakistan should start importing gas in seven to ten years. The daily welcomed Pakistani Petroleum Minister Naurez Shakoor's statement that an understanding was reached between Iran and Pakistan during Premier Mir Zafarullah Jamali's Iran visit.

The final course of the bilateral project, the daily maintained, has to be worked out, but the possibility of it coming up to Gwadar, (port) or Multan has been discussed. It has also been suggested that the proximity of Iran's internal pipeline at Chahbahar, which is close to Gwadar, would be a consideration in finalisation of the gasline route, the newspaper said.

Jamali paid a three-day official visit to Iran from October 21-23 in response to an invitation by Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami, who visited Pakistan last December.

The daily observed that besides meeting future domestic (Pakistan) demand, the pipeline would stimulate exports with other gas seeking countries and develop the country's sagging economic relation with Iran by opening the prospect of barter trade, another issue that was discussed during premier's Iran visit. A barter arrangement, the newspaper pointed out, could just be the stimulant needed.

"A long-term fallout will be the end of an unhealthy rivalry that was developing between Iran and Pakistan over who acts as the gateway to Central Asian energy reserves," it noted.

The newspaper concluded with Afghanistan showing no signs of stability, it is time to develop a bilateral pipeline with Iran as an alternative, promoting Gwadar seaport as an access point. It could put unnecessary fictions, including with India over transnational pipeline, at rest, according to the Daily Times.

http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=19250&NewsKind=Business%20%26%20Economy

Security Council Eyes Terrorist Sanctions

AP - World News
Nov 1, 2003

UNITED NATIONS -- The Security Council will evaluate a list of 225 suspected al-Qaida members handed over by Iran and decide whether to impose sanctions on the terror suspects, a U.N. ambassador said.

The U.N. committee monitoring sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban expects to circulate the list on Monday, the committee chairman, Chile's U.N. Ambassador Heraldo Munoz.

The 15 council members will determine whether the individuals named should be added to a list of individuals and groups subject to U.N. sanctions, which include an arms embargo, a travel ban and the freezing of assets.

"Indeed it is a very substantial list," he said Friday, adding that it was currently being translated from Farsi and Arabic.

The Iranian list includes 147 individuals arrested on Iranian territory and returned to their countries of residence, and another list of 78 individuals who Munoz indicated may still be detained in Iran.

The sanctions list currently contains the names of 143 individuals and 1 entity linked to the Taliban and 129 individuals and 98 groups linked to al-Qaida, he said.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Sunday in Tehran that the 225 people on the list given to the United Nations were all returned to the countries from which they came. But Munoz said some were still detained and being investigated.

Iranian Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi confirmed for the first time in July that Iran was holding "a large number of small and big-time elements of al-Qaida." But Asefi denied reports of specific al-Qaida operatives being in Iran.

The U.S. administration said Wednesday the United States is open to talks with Iran on a limited basis, but insisted that any improvement in relations would require Tehran to hand over terror suspects.

In Iran, government spokesman Abdollah Ramezanzadeh said that if the United States wants better relations, it could start by ending accusations that Iran supports terrorism. "They have to avoid making irrelevant accusations against us," he said.

Munoz, who briefed U.N. reporters during a trip to Afghanistan, expressed concern that the Taliban and al-Qaida have adapted to sanctions.

Al-Qaida is "no longer using front companies or enterprises that deposit money in financial centers, or if they're doing that they're disguising it better," he said. It also bypassed banks in transferring $35,000 to Jemaah Islamiyah for last year's Bali nightclub bombings, which killed 202 people, mostly foreigners, he said.

Al-Qaida is increasingly using informal systems for transferring money and couriers, Munoz said.

http://www.daneshjoo.org/generalnews/article/publish/article_3329.shtml

Blair Says War in Iraq Was 'Test Case'

October 30, 2003
CBC News
cbc.ca

LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair told BBC Radio that the war against Iraq was a "test case" to demonstrate to other countries the world is serious about stopping aggression.

Blair said in an interview that the war in Iraq was justified because of its impact on global security. He says if they had not dealt with Saddam Hussein in Iraq, then "there was no way we could have dealt with any other nation in a similar position."

"Why do you think Iran is now willing to co-operate with the (International) Atomic Energy Agency for the first time in years? Precisely because people now know we are serious about these issues," said the British prime minister.

Recently, Tehran has agreed to allow the IAEA to make short notice inspections of its nuclear facilities.

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/10/30/baliriraq031030

A student in Iran wrote me saying:

"People here are not happy with what The US want to do with Mullahs.

No deal with the Mullahs is Iranians' demand."

UK Envoy to Iran Summoned Over Blair Remarks

November 01, 2003
Reuters
MSNBC News

TEHRAN -- Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned the British ambassador in Tehran on Saturday to complain about remarks by Prime Minister Tony Blair, the British Embassy said.

Blair told BBC radio on Thursday that global commitment shown in the Iraq war to counter weapons of mass destruction had helped convince the Iranians to co-operate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog over their atomic programme.

''The ambassador was summoned this afternoon over Blair's comments,'' said a British diplomat in Tehran.

The official IRNA news agency said UK envoy Richard Dalton was told Blair's remarks were illogical.

''Mr Blair should not give bogus reasons and create propaganda...to escape answering world opinion on the legitimacy of occupying Iraq,'' an Iranian official was quoted as saying.

The British diplomat said Dalton had told the Iranians Blair never intended to insult the Islamic Republic and that Britain's policies towards Iran had not changed.

Iran agreed last week after a visit by EU foreign ministers to sign up to snap checks of its nuclear sites and suspend uranium enrichment. The step by Tehran eased pressure on Iran to prove to the United Nations that it is not seeking to develop nuclear arms.

''Our policy remains to engage with Iran and we welcome the results of last week's visit by the foreign secretary (Jack Straw) and his French and German counterparts, and we look forward to them being implemented,'' a spokesman for Blair's Downing Street office told Reuters.

Iran has always said its nuclear scientists are working on ways to meet booming demand for electricity not building a nuclear bomb.

(Additional reporting by Jeremy Lovell in London)

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters11-01-105557.asp?reg=EUROPE

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