Iran Due To Give Formal Response In Nuclear Issues

WASHINGTON - Iran is due to give its formal response today to an offer of trade and technology incentives from major world powers in exchange for halting uranium-enrichment work.

Tehran has given no sign it is ready to accept the offer and suspend enrichment. It has, however, suggested its reply to the offer will be “multi-dimensional.”

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on August 21 that Iran would pursue its nuclear-energy program.

U.S. President George W. Bush said the same day that Iran would face “consequences,” such as possible sanctions, if it ignored a United Nations Security Council demand to halt enrichment by the end of this month.

“The UN resolution calls for us to come back together on 31 August,” Bush said. “Dates are fine, but what really matters is will. And one of the things I will continue to remind our friends and allies [of] is the danger of a nuclear-armed Iran.”

The United States, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany presented the incentives package in June, aiming to persuade Iran to stop enrichment work that Western countries fear could be used for nuclear weapons. Iran denies any effort to make a nuclear bomb.