Rice Insists Nuclear Talks Should Go Through Solana

An Iranian initiative to end the crisis over its plans to build its own civil nuclear reactors must be handed to the six countries negotiating with Iran, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice insisted at the G8 summit yesterday.

Tehran had earlier caught the G8 by surprise by trying to involve them in the talks, after announcing that a package drafted by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany was an "acceptable basis" for discussion.

Tehran's response came four days after a July 12 deadline to respond to the offer, and after the six countries had decided to refer Iran to the Security Council.

In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said: "The G8 has two options ahead: one is the path of logic and the other the path of extremism. We hope the G8 group will place logical recommendations on its agenda."

But Ms Rice said the Iranians should hold talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who offered Iran a package of economic incentives last month in return for Tehran's long-term suspension of uranium enrichment.

Britain, France and the United States, as well as non-permanent Security Council member Germany, support economic sanctions if Iran fails to cooperate. But Russia said it would not support such measures.