UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said on Monday that negotiation remains the best option to settle the Iranian nuclear crisis, amid reports of Tehran offering a short-term suspension of uranium enrichment. "I still believe that negotiation is the best option to find a durable solution," ElBaradei told reporters as a meeting began in Vienna of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors.He was speaking a day after top Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said they would hold another meeting this week after reporting progress in talks at the weekend to avert UN sanctions over Tehran's enrichment activities.
A diplomat told AFP that Larijani had, in his meeting with Solana, offered a two-month suspension based on a set of conditions. "He had a long list including (a) complete and total halt in activity at the UN Security Council, an absolute stepping down from going for sanctions and that Iran would have the right to nuclear fuel technology on its soil," the diplomat said. "In return for this, Larijani said the Iranians would consider, consider not actually carry out, a two-month halt in enrichment. It was all very conditional," the diplomat said. "There was not any new offer on the table from the Iranians."