US:THE BUSH administration confirmed yesterday that it would send a top diplomat to a meeting with a senior Iranian negotiator this weekend - a US policy shift that European diplomats hope will encourage more flexibility from Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme.
William Burns, a US undersecretary of state, will join European, Russian and Chinese envoys and Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief, in a meeting in Geneva on Saturday with Saeed Jalili, head of Iran's supreme national security council.
The move represents a break with Washington's long-stated policy that it would not sit down with Tehran before it suspends its uranium enrichment activities.
It also raises the pressure on Tehran to make its own concessions and move the diplomatic process forward at a time when the nuclear dispute is raising speculation of an Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
"We're very pleased with the decision taken by Americans," said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for Mr Solana. "It expresses more vividly the engagement of the Americans . . . and it's a clear signal to the Iranians of the seriousness and determination of the international community to go ahead with these talks if the Iranians do their bit as well."
Dana Perino, White House press secretary, said US involvement in the talks was a "one-time participation" that "shows how serious we are when we say we want to solve this diplomatically".
However, diplomats underlined that the meeting was not intended as the start of negotiations but an attempt to gauge Tehran's response to an international package of incentives.
The package includes an offer to provide Iran with enriched uranium to replace domestic production, thereby removing the risk of nuclear material being diverted to weapons production.
It also includes a so-called freeze-for-freeze: as a first step and for only six weeks, Iran can continue to enrich uranium but should cap the expansion of its programme - while the UN Security Council halts any further moves towards sanctions. This time would be used to prepare for the real negotiations that would start only when Iran fully suspends enrichment.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, said yesterday Iran had "stances that are crystal clear" and "red lines", suggesting that suspension remains off the table. But regime insiders in Tehran say the leader has taken the freeze-to-freeze option under serious consideration. One of his advisers recently publicly said that the freeze was an option but that Iran would want it extended for several months.
"Ayatollah Khamenei has not found anything new in the nuclear package, but he has given his green light to begin [freeze-for- freeze] talks," said one insider.