GERMANY: Germany's foreign minister, Mr Joschka Fischer, has said that Berlin has "deep concerns" about Iran's nuclear and missile programmes but that war is "not an option".
Mr Fischer tells Stern magazine today that only political dialogue can resolve the current standoff with Tehran, sending a clear signal to the United States and Israel.
"I don't see that we're heading for an Iraq-style confrontation immediately," said Mr Fischer. "We are emphasising the political process." The EU's "Big Three" - Germany, France and Britain - reached a preliminary agreement with Teheran at the weekend, with the Islamic republic agreeing to suspend its nuclear programme while work continues on a permanent agreement.
The parties are deadlocked over whether Iran should be allowed to continue processing uranium if it scraps its uranium enrichment programme
Iran says the enriched uranium would only be used in nuclear power stations and not in nuclear weapons as other countries fear. But UN sanctions loom if Teheran does not cease uranium production by the November 25th deadline set by the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
Mr Fischer's remarks drew a sceptical response from US observers in Berlin, who called Germany's Iran policy "bankrupt from day one".
"Bonn started the project in 1992 under the banner of 'Critical Dialogue'. While Germany and its European allies tried aid, trade, credits and diplomatic indulgences, the regime in Teheran continued to support terrorism, repress the Iranian people, and clandestinely pursue nuclear weapons," said Mr Jeffrey Gedmin of the Aspen Institute, a White House-friendly foundation in Berlin.
"Germany has been allergic even to the idea of stepped up political pressure."
Mr Gedmin criticised the Big Three alliance, which has negotiated with Teheran in the last twelve months, calling it the "axis of weakness".
"In 1999 the EU changed the name of the policy to 'Constructive Dialogue' . . . Europe is nice to the mullahs, and when this fails, well, Europe tries to be a little nicer," he said.