AFP: EU officials were Friday evaluating Iran’s response to an offer for Tehran to avoid possible UN sanctions over its nuclear program in a wrangle that has led the UN atomic watchdog to hold up a key report. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is standing by in order to give Iran more time to hand over a letter officials hope will announce a halt in uranium enrichment, a key process in the nuclear fuel cycle.

Reuters: President George W. Bush lent support on Friday to European leaders trying to break a deadlock in talks with Iran over its nuclear program. France, Britain and Germany are trying to get Iran to agree to suspend sensitive nuclear work to avoid a referral to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.

AFP: Iran has given a response to EU pressure for it to suspend uranium enrichment, the French foreign ministry said Friday.
Iranian authorities delivered their reply late Thursday to Britain, France and Germany and to EU high representative Javier Solana late Thursday, the ministry said without divulging its contents.

AFP: The top advisor to Iran’s supreme leader called on Friday for “resistance” to international pressure over the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme, complaining that Tehran was subject to “idiotic and childish” demands. The Europeans “have told us to stop our nuclear programme and in return they will sell us commercial jets and trains”, Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri said in a speech carried on state radio ahead of Friday’s weekly prayers.

Reuters: The U.N. nuclear watchdog has held up a new report on inspections in Iran while Tehran and the EU’s “big three” try to break a deadlock in talks aimed at freezing Iran’s uranium enrichment programme, diplomats say.

Washington Post: After five days of intense internal deliberations, Iranian officials met with European envoys
here Thursday to seek “clarifications” on a proposed deal that would require Tehran to indefinitely suspend a pivotal aspect
of its nuclear energy program that could be converted to
military use, Western diplomatic sources here said.

Reuters: Iran failed on Thursday to give a definitive answer to
an EU demand it freeze sensitive nuclear activities or face referral to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, a diplomat familiar with the talks said.