The United States said Wednesday it would wait "a couple of weeks" before pressing tough UN action against Iran while European negotiators draft new incentives for Tehran to renounce its controversial nuclear activities.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made the announcement after two days of intensive consultations by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany that ended with no consensus on stern UN measures.
"We agreed that we will continue to seek a (UN) Security Council resolution, but that we would wait for a couple of weeks while the Europeans design an offer to the Iranians that would make clear that they have a choice that would allow them to have a civil nuclear program," Rice told ABC television.
But she said Washington was not abandoning efforts to seek a forceful response to Iran's suspected efforts to build a nuclear bomb, despite opposition from Russia and China to any punitive measures.
"We are all in agreement that the Security Council has got to send a very strong message to Iran that it can't continue to defy the international community. And that's what we're going to do," Rice said. "And we felt that waiting a couple of weeks is the way to allow diplomatic options to be fully pursued."
She told NBC television that Britain, France and Germany, the so-called EU-3 that has been negotiating with Iran, would put options to Iran.