WASHINGTON (AFX) - The US is not offering security guarantees to Iran to end its nuclear programme, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday.
The top US diplomat spoke as Iran said Sunday it would not suspend uranium enrichment despite European Union plans to offer incentives to the Islamic republic if it halts the sensitive nuclear work.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert claimed Iran could obtain a nuclear bomb in 'months' and vowed that Israel would take the 'necessary measures' to stop this occurring.
Ahead of new international talks on Iran this week, Rice told the Fox News Sunday program: 'Security assurances are not on the table.'
'It's obvious that in addition to the nuclear issue, we have other issues with Iran. We have a state in Iran that is devoted to the destruction of Israel. We have a state in Iran that meddles in the peace process' in the Middle East, Rice said.
Media reports have said that Britain, France and Germany, which are leading international talks with Iran, had asked Washington to provide guarantees that no threat would be made to the Iranian government.
But Rice strongly denied that the European trio had asked for such guarantees.
'First of all, let me just set the record straight. We haven't been asked to provide security assurances to Iran.
'What we're talking about is a package that will make clear to Iran that there are choices to be made, either that there will be sanctions and actions taken against Iran by the international community, or there's a way for them to meet their civil nuclear concerns.'
She added: 'You can't take this question out of the context of what Iran is doing in the international system. Iran is a troublemaker in the international system, a central banker of terrorism. Security assurances are not on the table.'
Britain, France and Germany are preparing a package of trade, technology and security benefits if Tehran stops enriching uranium, a process which creates fuel for power plants but can also form the core of a nuclear bomb.
A draft proposal by the trio says world powers should support Iran's building light water reactors for power generation and should also set up a nuclear fuel bank that would guarantee access to reactor fuel but not the sensitive fuel cycle technology.
But Iran vowed again on Sunday it would not suspend uranium enrichment. newsdesk@afxnews.com afp/hjp COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2005. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. AFX News and AFX Financial News Logo are registered trademarks of AFX News Limited