IRAN:US AND Iranian envoys had their highest-level diplomatic contact in 29 years on Saturday, but the seven-nation gathering in Geneva on Iran's nuclear programme was quickly brought to a halt by Iran's refusal to say whether it would suspend uranium enrichment.
In a break with long-standing policy, US undersecretary of state William J Burns joined Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and other diplomats in hopes of coaxing Iran finally to commit to a deal aimed at negotiating an end to the country's nuclear ambitions.
Instead, the diplomats were left wondering whether the Islamic Republic intends to join negotiations or whether it is simply playing for time as the Bush administration winds to an end.
Mr Solana, clearly frustrated, said in a news conference in Geneva: "We have not got a clear answer . . .We didn't get an answer 'yes' or 'no'."
As a result, Iran was given another deadline of two weeks from now to provide a final answer to the group, which includes the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.
A senior official in Washington said the United States would press to add additional economic and political sanctions on Iran if the regime continued to stonewall.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack, also in Washington, offered a warning to the Iranian government: "We hope the Iranian people understand that their leaders need to make a choice between co-operation, which would bring benefits to all, and confrontation, which can only led to further isolation."
The meeting's result was a setback for the Bush administration, which set aside its long-declared policy of avoiding almost any contact with the Iranians until they agree to suspend uranium enrichment.
US officials fear the enrichment effort eventually will give the regime the knowhow it needs to build a nuclear bomb, although the Iranians insist it is for peaceful purposes.
The meeting was the most important diplomatic encounter since the 1979 revolution between the US and Iran, which President Bush six years ago labelled part of the "axis of evil".
US and Iranian officials have met in recent years on Iraq's security, and senior diplomats have exchanged greetings from time to time in various regional meetings. But US officials have maintained that isolating Iran offered them an important point of leverage that they would be unwise to give up.
Even before the meeting, Iran's ambassador to Switzerland, Keyvan Imani, said Iran remained opposed to suspension of enrichment, which it insists is for peaceful nuclear purposes.
Mr Jalili offered a more upbeat account of the talks, saying afterwards they had been "constructive and progressing" and that "on the manner of continuing the negotiations, we have understood better our mutual positions".
In his comments at the meeting, Mr Burns delivered a "clear, simple message" that the United States supports the package of economic and political concessions offered by the group, supports the unity of the six powers, and insists that Iran suspend enrichment, Mr McCormack said in a statement. He said that Mr Burns held no other meeting with any Iranian officials.
Although Europeans and Americans have described the package of potential economic and political incentives as generous, some analysts say it lacked a key element that has left Iran balking: a promise that the US would renounce any plans for regime change.
"The main, main issue for Tehran is the security guarantee, and that is lacking," said Saeed Laylaz, an Iranian political analyst.
"Iranian and American problems are security problems, not diplomatic ones."
The senior US official emphasized that by sending Mr Burns, the US hoped to accomplish several goals, including provoking a new debate among Iranians about the advantages of accepting the package of incentives, and increasing the unity of the six powers.
Iran faces numerous economic problems that might make it want to improve its international standing.
Iran says it needs nuclear power for its growing population's electricity needs. Chronic summer power outages caused in part by international companies' fears of doing business with Iran have hurt Iranian commerce.
- (LA Times-Washington Post service)