But while Washington, backed by closest ally Britain, has said the six powers
will move quickly to adopt sanctions if Iran disregards the deadline, Germany
and France have been less conclusive in public and Russia and China have been
unwilling.
"For the moment, it (the Iranian response) is not satisfactory," French
Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on RTL radio, but added it was
important to avoid escalating conflict with Iran and the Muslim world.
"The worst thing would be to escalate into a confrontation (between the West
and) Iran on the one hand, and the Muslim world with Iran...," he said.
"I'm starting from the principle we should have a dialogue with the Iranians,
that we must hold out our hands to them."
CONFLICTS SEEN STRENGTHENING IRAN
US and British forces that overthrew Iraq's Saddam Hussein in 2003 are now
mired in an Islamist insurgency while
Israel and Lebanon's Hizbollah
guerrillas recently waged an inconclusive war. Both conflicts are widely seen to
have strengthened Iran.
Bloodshed between Israel and Palestinians under an Islamist Hamas government
also festers on without a solution in sight.
Some analysts believe that widespread anger in the Arab and Muslim worlds
over Washington's perceived slowness to push Israel into a ceasefire with
Hizbollah could erode support in the 15-member Security Council for a showdown
with Iran.
"The strongest motivation to give talks a chance seems to be the
international community's lack of appetite for a fourth conflict in the Middle
East," said Trita Parsi, a U.S.-based Iranian author and commentator.
Russia, which is building Iran's first nuclear power plant, has traditionally
argued that sanctions would not work.
Russia and China, also long averse to sanctions as a policy tool, have major
energy and investment stakes with Iran and could veto sanctions in the Security
Council.
Mark Fitzpatrick at the International Institute for Strategic Studies said
Russia's stance seemed to contradict the intention of the Council resolution but
most diplomatic players remained keen to find a palatable alternative to
sanctions.
"I'm sure there will be high-level talks on whether there is some formula
regarding sequencing of suspension" based on Iran's hint it could shelve
enrichment as the upshot of talks to carry out the incentives, he said.
"The question is whether there is a basis to fudge the sequencing -- that is,
Iran commits to suspension after a very short time period of negotiations. I
don't know if that would be enough for (the West)."
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