By Mark Heinrich
Speaking at a U.N. nuclear watchdog meeting, the six voiced serious concern at Iran's atomic advances and increasing restrictions on U.N. inspectors trying to keep track of them but did not mention toughening sanctions as a way to rein in Iran.
"We remain firmly committed to a comprehensive diplomatic solution, including through direct dialogue," the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China said in a statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors.
"(We) urge Iran to take this opportunity for engagement with us and thereby maximize opportunities for a negotiated way forward," France's IAEA governor, Olivier Caron, told the 35-nation gathering in Vienna.
In a switch from predecessor George W. Bush's strategy of isolating rather than talking to U.S. foes, U.S. President Barack Obama has said he would be open to engaging with Iran on a range of issues, from its nuclear ambitions to how it could help bring about peace in Afghanistan.
Iran has reacted cautiously, saying it is open to fair talks while demanding fundamental changes in U.S. policy, by which it means U.S.-driven sanctions, accusations Iran actively seeks nuclear weapons and supports terrorism.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told an Arab foreign minister Monday she was doubtful Iran would respond to the U.S. shift and had "no illusion" about success.
Obama has made no concrete offer yet of talks, pending the outcome of a sweeping foreign policy review due in a few weeks.
And his administration has re-floated the option of seeking harsher international sanctions on Tehran if it does not open up to IAEA investigations and shelve sensitive nuclear activity of possible use in producing atom bombs.
US TURNAROUND HEARTENS IAEA
Still, a fresh U.S. commitment under Obama to multilateral cooperation to solve frozen conflicts has cheered many at the IAEA, raising hopes of coaxing Iranian cooperation and easing fear of war shattering non-proliferation efforts.
The six powers omitted mention of sanctions, common in statements by Western members at earlier IAEA meetings, to preserve unity — Russia and China oppose further punitive steps — and underscore a direct diplomatic approach critically undermined by Washington's pointed absence under Bush.
But they stressed Iran had to reciprocate by suspending enrichment and giving inspectors documentation and on-the-ground access to resolve allegations of secret military dimensions to Iran's nuclear fuel program.
Iran, they said, must also grant wider-ranging inspections beyond declared nuclear sites to allay mistrust in its goals.
Iran says it is enriching uranium for a planned network of nuclear power plants, not weapons as Western powers suspect.
But the European Union said the situation has worsened due to an "alarming, continuous" increase in Iran's centrifuge production capacity and stockpile of enriched uranium "that has no obvious civilian application" because it lacked power plants.
The United States, addressing IAEA governors on its own on Monday, held out the prospect of direct engagement with Iran, Syria and North Korea to help the U.N. watchdog tackle suspected proliferation challenges posed by the three nations.
The United States cut off all relations with Iran in 1980 after militants took U.S. diplomats and officials hostage.
(additional reporting by Sylvia Westall)
(Editing by Diana Abdallah)
