Hopes began to fade Wednesday that a fresh round of talks with Iran would help ease tensions over TehranÂ’s disputed nuclear program after Iran slammed a new package of proposals by Western powers as inadequate.
The package contained what U.S. officials said were confidence-building measures that Iran would need to take to show that its nuclear program is not aimed at producing a weapon, including a reduction in the degree to which the country is enriching uranium, from 20 percent to 5 percent.
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Iran countered the proposal with a five-point package, which included broadening the focus of the talks to incorporate the escalating conflict in Syria, which is emerging as a battleground for influence between the United States and its regional allies and Tehran, which is closely aligned to the regime in Damascus.
U.S. officials said they rejected the inclusion of any issue other than IranÂ’s nuclear program in this round of talks. |