France, Britain and Germany have warned Iran they will break off talks and join Washington in seeking UN Security Council action if Tehran makes good on its threats to resume atomic work, EU officials said today.
The foreign ministers of the European Union's three biggest powers sent a strongly worded letter to Hassan Rohani, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, warning that resuming potentially arms-related nuclear work "would bring the negotiating process to an end," an EU diplomat quoted the letter as saying.
"The consequences could only be negative for Iran," it said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair spelled out the potential consequences, telling reporters: "We certainly will support referral to the United Nations Security Council if Iran breaches its obligations and undertakings."
The United States believes Iran's nuclear energy program is a front to develop atomic weapons and has been pressing for Iran's case to be sent to the 15-member UN council for possible economic sanctions and other actions.
"Iran needs to abide by its international obligations," White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters. He said Tehran needed to refrain from enrichment as "an objective guarantee ... that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons."
The EU shares US suspicions but has offered incentives to try to get Tehran to give up its atomic fuel program, which Iran insists is only for nuclear power plants, not for arms.
The EU letter proposed "ministerial level talks" between the Iranians and Europeans within the next two weeks to break the impasse and avoid a crisis, EU diplomats said.