Major powers: Iran has weeks to reply to proposal

Reuters: Senior officials representing the major powers have reaffirmed in a conference call that Iran should respond to their nuclear proposal within weeks not months, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday. WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) – Senior officials representing the major powers have reaffirmed in a conference call that Iran should respond to their nuclear proposal within weeks not months, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

The phone call involving the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China took place after Iran said it would respond by Aug. 22 to an international package seeking to persuade Tehran to end uranium enrichment, spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters.

He said the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany agreed they had made a “very good offer to Iran and we all urge Iran to accept that proposal.”

They also “reiterated a common view … (that) we expect a response within weeks, not months” dating from when the offer was first made on June 1, Ereli said.

The major powers fear Iran will use enriched uranium in nuclear warheads, not just power stations, a charge Tehran denies. Iran has hailed the package as a step forward, but has insisted upon its right to produce its own nuclear fuel. The major powers have insisted Iran halt uranium enrichment before negotiations on the package begin.