| So that they may be snubbed again. |
In a statement issued after the UN’s nuclear watchdog issued a new report on Iran Thursday, she again urged the Islamic republic’s leadership to restart talks with the West. “I regret that Iran has not taken the steps required by the (UN) Security Council. I urge Iran once again to do so, which would allow negotiations to resume,” she said.
Mrs Beckett added that the latest IAEA report “also suggests a lack of full co-operation with the IAEA”. “We will be consulting our international partners on next steps, which will require further action by the Security Council, as envisaged in Resolution 1696,” she said.
The British minister added that she expects “an early meeting” with her French and German counterparts in the E3, which has spearheaded Europe’s diplomatic efforts to resolve the Iran crisis diplomatically. Their goal remains a negotiated solution based on proposals made in June by the E3, plus Russia, China and the United States, she said.