WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday explicitly accepted for the first time that Iran can develop civilian nuclear programs, backing an EU proposal to allow Tehran to pursue atomic power in exchange for giving up fuel work.
In a compromise that completed a gradual shift in U.S. policy, Washington acquiesced because it believes the EU offer has enough safeguards to prevent Iran from diverting its civilian work into making nuclear bombs. :scared
"We support the (Europeans') effort and the proposal they have put forward to find a diplomatic solution to this problem and to seek an end to Iran's nuclear weapons program," State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.
The U.S. acquiescence is in contrast with its stance in talks with North Korea, which it insists cannot have any nuclear development for fear Pyongyang would build atomic bombs under the guise of a civilian power program.
The shift also comes despite long-held U.S. worries that allowing a civilian program could help Iran develop its nuclear technology and know-how so that, if it ever breaks any EU agreement, it would be closer to acquiring a bomb.
A U.S. official said the EU offer helped allay American fears.
"There's a certainty and an ability to ensure that none of the nuclear fuel that would be involved is diverted to an illicit nuclear weapons program," said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss details of the proposal.
The EU -- represented by Britain, France and Germany -- has held talks for two years to find a compromise between arch foes Iran and the United States.
Washington accuses Iran of trying to covertly build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its programs are peaceful and that it has the right to convert and enrich uranium, which can be used for power generation or to build bombs.
OPPOSITION ERODES
The U.S. opposition to nuclear power plants in Iran has eroded this year.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has increasingly pointed to a power plant deal between Russia and Iran as an example of how to limit the risk from a civilian program because Moscow controls the fuel.
But while the United States had accepted such an arrangement under that one deal, until Friday it had not explicitly agreed to the principle that Iran could have a civilian program.
Friday's compromise was in line with Washington's new approach this year on Iran.
Rice has dropped the U.S. skepticism toward the Europeans' negotiations and repeatedly said the United States wants to avoid being blamed for any failure of the talks.
To boost the Europeans' leverage, in March, Rice offered Iran economic incentives -- a start to World Trade Organization membership and access to civilian aircraft parts -- to abandon any nuclear weapons programs.
A senior State Department official said the Europeans could seek more incentives from the United States.
"If it looks as if this initial plan might have a chance of actually becoming part of an agreement, then there might be an opportunity for the EU to come back to the U.S. to ask for further engagement," the official, who could not be named under the department's ground rules, told reporters in a teleconference.
The EU offered to declare its "willingness to support Iran to develop a safe, economically viable and proliferation-proof civil nuclear power generation and research program."
The bloc offered to guarantee supplies of fuel for light-water nuclear power reactors but insisted Iran return to the supplier all spent fuel, which can also be used in atomic weaponry.
The State Department's No. 3 official, Nicholas Burns, told reporters, "We hope that Iran will look at this proposal seriously."
In a compromise that completed a gradual shift in U.S. policy, Washington acquiesced because it believes the EU offer has enough safeguards to prevent Iran from diverting its civilian work into making nuclear bombs. :scared
"We support the (Europeans') effort and the proposal they have put forward to find a diplomatic solution to this problem and to seek an end to Iran's nuclear weapons program," State Department spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.
The U.S. acquiescence is in contrast with its stance in talks with North Korea, which it insists cannot have any nuclear development for fear Pyongyang would build atomic bombs under the guise of a civilian power program.
The shift also comes despite long-held U.S. worries that allowing a civilian program could help Iran develop its nuclear technology and know-how so that, if it ever breaks any EU agreement, it would be closer to acquiring a bomb.
A U.S. official said the EU offer helped allay American fears.
"There's a certainty and an ability to ensure that none of the nuclear fuel that would be involved is diverted to an illicit nuclear weapons program," said the official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to discuss details of the proposal.
The EU -- represented by Britain, France and Germany -- has held talks for two years to find a compromise between arch foes Iran and the United States.
Washington accuses Iran of trying to covertly build a nuclear bomb. Tehran says its programs are peaceful and that it has the right to convert and enrich uranium, which can be used for power generation or to build bombs.
OPPOSITION ERODES
The U.S. opposition to nuclear power plants in Iran has eroded this year.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has increasingly pointed to a power plant deal between Russia and Iran as an example of how to limit the risk from a civilian program because Moscow controls the fuel.
But while the United States had accepted such an arrangement under that one deal, until Friday it had not explicitly agreed to the principle that Iran could have a civilian program.
Friday's compromise was in line with Washington's new approach this year on Iran.
Rice has dropped the U.S. skepticism toward the Europeans' negotiations and repeatedly said the United States wants to avoid being blamed for any failure of the talks.
To boost the Europeans' leverage, in March, Rice offered Iran economic incentives -- a start to World Trade Organization membership and access to civilian aircraft parts -- to abandon any nuclear weapons programs.
A senior State Department official said the Europeans could seek more incentives from the United States.
"If it looks as if this initial plan might have a chance of actually becoming part of an agreement, then there might be an opportunity for the EU to come back to the U.S. to ask for further engagement," the official, who could not be named under the department's ground rules, told reporters in a teleconference.
The EU offered to declare its "willingness to support Iran to develop a safe, economically viable and proliferation-proof civil nuclear power generation and research program."
The bloc offered to guarantee supplies of fuel for light-water nuclear power reactors but insisted Iran return to the supplier all spent fuel, which can also be used in atomic weaponry.
The State Department's No. 3 official, Nicholas Burns, told reporters, "We hope that Iran will look at this proposal seriously."
