World powers on Wednesday said they were committed to a diplomatic solution on the issue of Iran's nuclear programme and welcomed US President Barack Obama's offer to talk directly with Tehran. "(We) emphasise a common commitment to a diplomatic solution based on the dual track strategy," said a German official who quoted from a joint statement from the United States, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany.
He was referring to the longstanding two-track approach of using diplomacy and the threat of international sanctions to persuade Tehran to rein in its nuclear programme. The powers, who met on Wednesday for the first time on Iran since Obama took office on January 20, urged Iran to comply fully with UN demands, which include a halt to uranium enrichment and opening up to a UN nuclear watchdog investigation.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman had no immediate comment on the big powers' statement. Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, opposed direct talks with Iran to resolve the stand-off, but Washington is now reviewing its Iran policy. The new administration is considering a range of options to get Iran to change its behaviour. A European official, who was involved in the talks but declined to be named, told Reuters that all partners present were encouraged by the change in US approach.
"This is going to be an important period we are going into. It's a new beginning although still on the dual track," he said. "(The United States) didn't come to this meeting to tell us what their new policy was, they came to talk through where we were ... This was not a moment for anyone to make (new) policy. This meeting was part of the policy review."
Another European official said there had been no talk of new sanctions at the meeting and that partners would meet again once Washington had completed its review process, with a gathering likely to take place in London in March. But a representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the possibility that the hostile state of relations with Washington would change under Obama.
"Opposing the Zionist regime and defending oppressed people are among the pillars of the Islamic revolution and Iran and America's relationship will not change because of Obama taking office," said the representative to the Revolutionary Guards in north-western Zanjan province, cleric Hojjatoleslam Ali Maboudi, according to the Fars News Agency. By "Zionist regime", he was referring to Israel - Washington closest Middle East ally - whose existence is not recognised by the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told a weekly news conference there would be no talks between Iranian and American officials at a security conference in the southern German city of Munich this weekend.
The UN Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. Western powers suspect the work is aimed at building an atomic bomb. Tehran says it is for peaceful power generation only. Iran has rejected the powers' longstanding demand for an enrichment suspension before talks can begin and has gradually expanded its programme during the stalemate, raising fears it may be approaching bomb-making capability.
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