Six world powers agree to discuss possible sanctions against Iran

LONDON -- Six key world powers have agreed to discuss possible sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program but shied away from demanding Tehran be punished by the U.N. Security Council.

The United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia said in a joint statement Friday night after talks in London that they were "deeply disappointed" by Tehran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, a key step toward making nuclear weapons.

Apparently divided about how quickly to move, the powers stopped short of declaring European negotiations with Iran a failure.

U.S. undersecretary of state Nicholas Burns told American and British media that work on a new U.N. Security Council resolution allowing for sanctions would start next week.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said officials from the six nations will continue their talks in a teleconference on Monday or Tuesday.

Reading the joint statement, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Iran had two choices when the United Nations demanded that it halt enrichment activities. "We regret that Iran has not yet taken the positive one," she said.

European foreign policy chief Javier Solana briefed the group on his stalled nuclear negotiations with Tehran. Beckett said the envoys were "deeply disappointed that he has had to report that Iran is not prepared to suspend its enrichment-related reprocessing activities."

She said they "will now consult on measures under Article 41 of Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter."

Article 41 authorizes the Security Council to impose nonmilitary sanctions such as completely or partially severing diplomatic and economic relations, transportation and communications links.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said the diplomats would discuss "proportionate and reversible sanctions" and that "the door of dialogue" would stay open to Iran.

Iran insists that its enrichment of uranium is purely for peaceful purposes to be used for nuclear energy. But the United States and many European nations believe Iran is seeking to produce nuclear weapons.

The U.S. and Britain are leading the push for sanctions against Tehran. To avoid alienating the Russians and the Chinese -- both major commercial partners of Iran -- any measures are likely to be relatively mild, including embargoes on missile and nuclear technology, and possible travel bans and other penalties on Iranian officials involved in their country's nuclear program.

Britain's U.N. ambassador said Thursday that he expected "the Iran dossier" to return to the Security Council in the next week, but Beckett set no timeframe for action.

The London meeting was disrupted by the late arrival of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She was delayed leaving Iraq because of mechanical difficulties with her plane, meaning the diplomats had little time to reach a consensus.

But even before the logistical problems arose, it was clear there were significant differences among the participants, with Russia voicing reluctance to move toward sanctions and Rice suggesting it was "getting pretty close to ... time" to take Iran to the Security Council.

"There is an issue of the credibility of the Security Council and the international system and you simply can't just keep talking with no outcome," she told reporters on her way to London.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that sanctions now would be "extreme," hinted Friday that Moscow might accept some action.

"We do not rule out additional measures," the Interfax news agency quoted him as saying in London.

Beckett denied suggestions that the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and Germany had been unable to agree on a course of action.

She told The Associated Press that the international community was united in wishing to negotiate with Iran and urging it to suspend enrichment.

"None of us want to get involved in sanctions, but at the present time, Iran is not responding to probably the most generous offer that has ever been made by the international community," she said.

She said the package of technological and political incentives which the six countries offered Iran in June was still on the table if it commits to freezing enrichment.

Iran ignored an Aug. 31 deadline to suspend uranium enrichment or face punishment. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was defiant Thursday, saying his country would not be intimidated.

Before leaving Britain on Saturday, Rice met with Prime Minister Tony Blair at his country residence, but British and U.S. officials declined to immediately discuss the meeting.

---

Associated Press Writers Thomas Wagner and Anne Gearan in London, Stephen Graham in Berlin and Steve Gutterman in Moscow contributed to this report.