Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was updated by President George W. Bush, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni received a phone call from Rice notifying her of the decision prior to the announcement. According to media reports, Israel supported the decision.
The move was a significant departure from the U.S. stance on talks, which it has insisted are not necessary because Iran already knows what is required of it by international law.
“The United States is willing to exert strong leadership to give diplomacy its very best chance to succeed,” said Rice in announcing the new initiative. She added, however, that talks would only begin “as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities”.
The proposal, explained Rice, is another version of the carrot-and-stick strategy; Iran can choose to end its nuclear development and negotiate directly with the U.S., or it can refuse to do so, risking sanctions instead. Rice is expected to meet with leaders from Russia, China and the EU-3 countries to work out the exact details of the proposals.
The offer includes assistance from the U.S., Britain, France and Germany (EU-3 countries) to build a light water nuclear reactor for civilian use. The Swiss ambassador was asked by Washington to convey the statement to Iran.
“Today, the Iranian regime can decide on one of two paths,” Rice told reporters. “We urge Iran to make this choice for peace – to abandon its ambition for nuclear weapons.”
The move was a significant departure from the U.S. stance on talks, which it has insisted are not necessary because Iran already knows what is required of it by international law.
“The United States is willing to exert strong leadership to give diplomacy its very best chance to succeed,” said Rice in announcing the new initiative. She added, however, that talks would only begin “as soon as Iran fully and verifiably suspends its enrichment and reprocessing activities”.
The proposal, explained Rice, is another version of the carrot-and-stick strategy; Iran can choose to end its nuclear development and negotiate directly with the U.S., or it can refuse to do so, risking sanctions instead. Rice is expected to meet with leaders from Russia, China and the EU-3 countries to work out the exact details of the proposals.
The offer includes assistance from the U.S., Britain, France and Germany (EU-3 countries) to build a light water nuclear reactor for civilian use. The Swiss ambassador was asked by Washington to convey the statement to Iran.
“Today, the Iranian regime can decide on one of two paths,” Rice told reporters. “We urge Iran to make this choice for peace – to abandon its ambition for nuclear weapons.”