AFP: The European Union is no longer explicitly calling for an indefinite suspension of Iran’s uranium enrichment, diplomats said here Tuesday, outlining a compromise proposal ahead
of a crucial meeting with the Iranians on their nuclear programme. The diplomats said ambassadors from Britain, France and Germany were Tuesday to hand over in Tehran the EU’s written offer, ahead of a scheduled meeting with Iran in Paris on Friday on Europe’s request for Iran to halt uranium enrichment, which can be used to make nuclear weapons.

AFP: French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier called Tuesday for Iran to produce a “lasting” halt to its uranium enrichment activities, as signs emerged of a compromise deal between Iran and the EU. “We are in an extremely intensive phase of discussions with the Tehran government and we are entering into this final phase of discussions with a certain optimism,” Barnier told reporters at a European Union meeting here.

AFP: Iran is prepared to suspend uranium enrichment for a maximum of six months during negotiations with European countries, but will never agree to permanently halt the practice, one of its top nuclear negotiators said on Tuesday.
“We have told them (the Europeans) that an indefinite suspension is unacceptable,” Hossein Mousavian told AFP.

Bloomberg: Iran may face a “very serious” showdown with the United Nations should the Islamic country fail to dispel suspicions that it is building a nuclear-weapons program,
said German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Germany, France and Britain are leading European Union efforts to
reach an agreement that would ensure Iran’s nuclear-power program is peaceful. Iran has reneged on a 2003 pledge …

AFP: European Union foreign ministers gathered Tuesday ahead of an EU leaders’ summit this week to tackle aid for Iraq and Iran’s nuclear drive.
With the outcome of the US presidential election and crisis at the European Commission at home to tackle, the EU leaders have plenty to discuss when they convene on Thursday and Friday.

Xinhuanet: Iranian President Mohammad Khatami on
Tuesday categorically rejected the European demand of unlimited suspension of uranium enrichment.
“The Iranian nation must not be deprived of its rights on
nuclear technology,” Khatami told reporters.

Los Angeles Times: Diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb may fail, U.S. officials and foreign diplomats say, leaving the winner of today’s presidential election with the threat of an Islamic fundamentalist, nuclear-armed regime in Tehran. The debate over Iran will probably strain a White House that is already preoccupied with Iraq no matter who wins today’s presidential election.