Europeans Drop Harsher Stance on Iran
EU Offers Delay Push To Bring Iran Before U.N. Security Council if Resolution Can Be Brokered

ABC News/Associated Press
By George Jahn, AP Writer
September 22, 2005

[Excerpt]

VIENNA, Austria Sep 22, 2005 — The European Union on Thursday offered to delay its drive to bring Iran before the U.N. Security Council for its suspect atomic activities if Russia and China will agree to a new resolution that criticizes Tehran for violating nuclear commitments.

If an agreement is not reached, however, the EU, backed by the United States, planned to force a vote on the tougher resolution.

The new U.S.-backed European offer was contained in a text threatening Tehran only with referral to the Security Council at a later date. The previous EU draft resolution which also remained on the table urged the 35 nations on the International Atomic Energy Agency board of directors to report Iran to the U.N.'s highest decision-making body during the board's current session.

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