--I1-- US and Iran meet at nuclear talks Senior US and Iranian officials have met for rare bilateral talks during discussions between world powers and Iran on its nuclear programme. Undersecretary of State William Burns and Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, held what were described as "significant" talks in Geneva. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, want Iran to halt its enrichment activities. The talks ended with an agreement to meet again in October, reports say. Tehran insists it has the right to develop nuclear energy, but the revelation of a second uranium-enrichment facility last week has raised fears that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons. The Iranian government has said that it will allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to view the site, thought to be near Qom, but has not said when the inspections can take place. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, said earlier that Iran had been "on wrong side of the law" in hiding the uranium plant. "Iran was supposed to inform us on the day it was decided to construct the facility. They have not done that," he told CNN-IBN. But Mr ElBaradei also stressed that the IAEA did not have credible evidence that Iran had an operational nuclear weapons programme. 'Restatement of positions' Officials from the US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany began high-level talks with Iranian representatives in Geneva on Thursday. During the lunch interval, the senior US official taking part in the discussions met separately with the chief Iranian negotiator. US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood refused to reveal details of the talks afterwards, but US diplomats described them as "significant". The BBC's Jon Leyne in Geneva says the Americans seem to want to play up their importance, perhaps as evidence that President Barack Obama's so-called "hand of friendship" is generating a positive response. Later, the representatives of Iran and the six powers agreed to hold further talks by the end of October, according to Iranian state television. However, our correspondent says, overall the nuclear talks do not seem to have made much progress. One Western diplomat said that much of the morning session had been spent in a restatement of positions. Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy purposes Senior US and Iranian officials have met for rare bilateral talks during discussions between world powers and Iran on its nuclear programme. Undersecretary of State William Burns and Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, held what were described as "significant" talks in Geneva. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, want Iran to halt its enrichment activities. The talks ended with an agreement to meet again in October, reports say. Tehran insists it has the right to develop nuclear energy, but the revelation of a second uranium-enrichment facility last week has raised fears that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran was supposed to inform us on the day it was decided to construct the facility. They have not done that Mohamed El Baradei, IAEA A high-stakes game Q&A: Iran and the nuclear issue Talks herald new phase for Iran The Iranian government has said that it will allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to view the site, thought to be near Qom, but has not said when the inspections can take place. The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Mohamed ElBaradei, said earlier that Iran had been "on wrong side of the law" in hiding the uranium plant. "Iran was supposed to inform us on the day it was decided to construct the facility. They have not done that," he told CNN-IBN. But Mr ElBaradei also stressed that the IAEA did not have credible evidence that Iran had an operational nuclear weapons programme. 'Restatement of positions' Officials from the US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany began high-level talks with Iranian representatives in Geneva on Thursday. These talks matter. The crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions has been smouldering since 2006, but it has started to emit worrying sparks lately. At the moment it is hard to identify common ground between the two sides, so the meeting needs to establish - at the very least - a way for them to talk constructively to each other. Diplomats from the Security Council side say the talks will be a failure if they are not the start of a short and relatively sharp political process that addresses international concerns about what exactly Iran is doing. Underlying the diplomacy are threats. If there's no progress by the end of the year, Iran will face more sanctions - either from the Security Council or from a consortium of the US, France, Britain and their allies. And beyond that are the veiled and no-so-veiled threats of a military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. During the lunch interval, the senior US official taking part in the discussions met separately with the chief Iranian negotiator. US State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood refused to reveal details of the talks afterwards, but US diplomats described them as "significant". The BBC's Jon Leyne in Geneva says the Americans seem to want to play up their importance, perhaps as evidence that President Barack Obama's so-called "hand of friendship" is generating a positive response. Later, the representatives of Iran and the six powers agreed to hold further talks by the end of October, according to Iranian state television. However, our correspondent says, overall the nuclear talks do not seem to have made much progress. One Western diplomat said that much of the morning session had been spent in a restatement of positions. 'Certain rights' Earlier, the Iranian stated broadcaster IRIB reported that Mr Jalili had used "clear and unequivocal" language during the initial discussions. "The Islamic Republic would by no means be dissuaded of its certain rights," it quoted him as saying. Mr Jalili had also given a "detailed explanation" of wide-ranging proposals that Iran had submitted to the six powers last month and "emphasised the necessity of complete global disarmament", it added. Washington says it is focused on engagement, not sanctions. However, at the same time, US diplomats are making clear that the talks with Iran cannot be open-ended, correspondents say. "This is the first time that we've agreed to sit down with Iran as a full member of the P5+1 discussions," Mr Wood told journalists. "We're willing to engage in this process but we're not going to do it forever," he said. Russia recently signalled it might be prepared to soften its opposition to further sanctions. China, which is also a permanent Security Council member, has said such pressure would not be effective. --I2-- U.S., Iran hold 'serious and frank' nuke talks GENEVA, Switzerland (CNN) -- Two top officials from the United States and Iran huddled on the margins of the Geneva talks on Iran's nuclear program, a meeting one diplomat describes as "serious and frank." Also, a source close to the talks said Iran and world powers have agreed to hold another round of talks before the end of the month. The Geneva talks coincide with the recent revelation that Iran was building a second uranium enrichment facility near the city of Qom, a dramatic development that jacked up tension between Iran and international powers. William J. Burns, U.S. undersecretary of state for political affairs, is leading the U.S. delegation, and Saeed Jalili, Iran's nuclear negotiator, is representing his country at the meeting, a senior U.S. official and a diplomatic source confirmed. The men discussed the nuclear program, a sit-down described as the first face-to-face meeting over the Iran's nuclear program. Another diplomatic source, who characterized the meeting as "serious and frank," said world powers are pushing for a date for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors to examine the recently revealed nuclear facility in Qom. See a map of Iran's nuclear sites ; They also discussed human rights issues, including detained Americans in Iran. Among those held in Iranian custody are three hikers who strayed from Iraqi territory into Iran. The sources would talk only on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the ongoing discussions with Iran. "They certainly are historical talks," said David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security and a former weapons inspector. "For the United States and Iran to sit down finally and start to talk about the significant differences between the two countries is extremely important, and I think it's long overdue." The group met at the Villa le Saugy. The mood at the event's buffet-style lunch seemed to belie the stark international tensions over the Iranian nuclear issue. Iranians and the other officials dined and mingled, and some ate while seated, and others stood at tables, an official at the talks said. Many gathered in the villa's backyard and enjoyed a view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps, the official said. Along with the U.S. and Iranian officials, many other would huddle together, quietly discussing issues in sidebar conversations, the official said. The existence of the second uranium enrichment facility prompted President Obama and the leaders of Britain and France to publicly chide the Islamic republic last week at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh and threaten further sanctions. Iran claims that its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, but many in the international community have accused the country of trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability. The existence of the newly revealed nuclear site will be the centerpiece of talks, attended by Iran, Germany, the European Union, and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China. One official said international powers wanted to know what kind of "steps" Iran is "willing to take to build confidence with the international community." According to three senior U.S. administration officials, the United States wants IAEA nuclear monitors to have unfettered access to the facility. The first option would be to persuade Iran to change its ways through dialogue, but if that fails, then isolation and sanctions are other options, they said. "If it's not going to succeed, then there has to be consequences," an official said. Pressure could also come from the U.N. Security Council, the United States or other like-minded nations. "They will respond," one official said of Iran. "If not, they will pay the price." But former U.S. President Carter urged Washington and other nations to take a diplomatic approach in negotiations with Iran over the country's nuclear ambitions. "I hope and pray that Iran will be induced to permit international inspectors to come in and observe their entire nuclear program, because what they're doing so far is completely illegal under the nonproliferation treaty," Carter said Thursday. "They have a right to purify uranium and plutonium to use for nuclear power. If Iran is on the borderline, the constant threats that we or the Israelis are going to attack Iran is the best thing to force them to say, 'Let's defend ourselves.' "I don't think Iran has made up their mind what to do, and I think the best thing we can do is engage them and stop making these idle threats." --I3-- US, Iran Hold Rare Bilateral Meeting By VOA News 01 October 2009 U.S. and Iranian diplomats have held a rare bilateral meeting, on the sidelines of talks in Geneva about Iran's nuclear program. A U.S. spokesman says Undersecretary of State William Burns met Thursday with top Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. The United States and Iran do not have diplomatic relations, and no details of the meeting were made public. However, the session is believed to be the highest-level meeting between Washington and Tehran in years. Iranian officials have been holding multilateral talks with diplomats from the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany. Iranian television says the world powers have agreed to hold more talks before the end of October. State television also says Jalili laid out the framework of Iran's proposals and explained how he believed they should be implemented. Meanwhile, Iranian news agencies quote Jalili as telling world leaders Iran would not give up certain rights, a possible reference to the country's nuclear program. Western nations are concerned that Iran is trying to make a nuclear weapon, and hope the talks will lead to a halt in its nuclear activities. Iran says it is enriching uranium for peaceful purposes. The United Nations has already imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran over its uranium enrichment program. Iran has uranium centrifuges at a facility in Natanz, and last week, it reported a second site near the holy city of Qom. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran broke the law by not disclosing the second facility much earlier. --I4-- U.S., Iranian official meet one on one in Geneva By WARREN P. STROBEL McClatchy Newspapers GENEVA -- A senior U.S. diplomat and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator met one on one Thursday in Geneva in what appeared to be the highest-level official contact between the countries since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. The meeting between Undersecretary of State William Burns and the Iranian, Saeed Jalili, took place during a break in negotiations at a villa outside Geneva among the United States, Iran and five other nations. It was announced by State Department spokesman Robert Wood, who offered no other details. Senior U.S. officials had said Wednesday that they'd use the sessions in Geneva to press Iran to pull back on its nuclear development program, which Western governments charge is aimed at fashioning a nuclear weapon. The Burns-Jalili encounter is the latest attempt by the Obama administration to engage Iran, which Washington also has threatened with "crippling" sanctions if it doesn't suspend the nuclear work. The State Department allowed Iran's foreign minister, Manoucher Mottaki, to visit Washington on Wednesday, waiving regulations that usually confine Iranian diplomats within a 25-mile radius of downtown Manhattan. Mottaki didn't meet with U.S. officials but visited Iran's interests section, which is overseen by Pakistan, because the United States and Iran have no diplomatic relations. The United States broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in early 1980, soon after radical students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in November 1979 and took American diplomats hostage. There have been sporadic U.S.-Iranian contacts in the ensuing three decades, official and unofficial, secret and overt. Then-U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker met several times in Baghdad with Iranian representatives in 2007 and 2008 to discuss security in Iran, but those talks included Iraqi officials. Then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright joined her Iranian counterpart to discuss Afghanistan in 2000, but officials of other countries attended that session, too. Earlier on Thursday, a Western diplomat, briefing reporters on the condition of anonymity because the talks were ongoing, said that at the morning session, representatives of the six nations told Jalili that Iran must agree to negotiate over its nuclear program. They reiterated that a June 2008 offer of improved economic, political and security ties remains on the table, the diplomat said. Iran at times has ruled out talks on its nuclear work, which it says is its sovereign right, and at other times has said it will discuss the issue only in the context of its regional and global concerns. After all sides read prepared talking points Thursday morning, Jalili "started talking about the nuclear issue in this wider context," the diplomat said. The talks are taking place at the Villa le Saugy, outside Geneva. According to an official at the talks, who asked not to be named because the official wasn't authorized to talk to journalists, the Iranian officials and other delegations "dined and mingled" over an outdoor lunch. The menu included trout almondine, creme brulee, wine and coffee. --I5-- Nuclear talks lead to rare meeting between US and Iran American diplomat has one-to-one discussion with Tehran counterpart in Geneva -- the first such session in 30 years guardian.co.uk, Thursday 1 October 2009 13.29 BST Senior American and Iranian officials today held one-to-one talks in Geneva during negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme, marking the most substantive bilateral contact between the two countries for 30 years. The meeting between the American diplomat William Burns and the Iranian official Saeed Jalili came during a lunch break at the Geneva meeting. It was unclear what the two men discussed, but the encounter had been planned in advance by the US state department in the hope of breaking a four-year impasse over Iran's nuclear activities. One official described the meeting as a "significant conversation". A western diplomat said there were no breakthroughs at the morning session but Iran had begun to discuss the nuclear question under concerted pressure from diplomats of six major powers. He said the session began with both sides restating earlier positions. Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, said Iran was within its rights to pursue a peaceful nuclear programme and suggested the negotiations focus on broader, global themes. The six-nation group made up of the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China said it would stick by the "freeze for freeze" offer put forward last year, under which the UN would impose no new sanctions and Iran would stop expanding its uranium enrichment programme. Iran has so far rejected a further offer of economic aid and technical assistance in establishing a more proliferation-proof nuclear power industry if it suspends enrichment altogether. The talks extended into the early evening, taken by some analysts as a positive sign. Iran's Press-TV said further talks were planned before the end of October, but this could not be independently confirmed. This morning the six-nation group, known as the E3+3, agreed the discovery of a previously undeclared uranium enrichment plant made a resolution to the crisis "all the more urgent", the diplomat said. The group has insisted that Iran name a date for UN inspections of the plant, near the city of Qom. Western powers say that if the talks fail they will look at wide-ranging sanctions aimed at damaging the Tehran regime. The talks are taking place in an 18th-century lakeside villa. All the E3+3 group have sent top diplomats, with the exception of China, which has sent a relatively junior official, the head of the foreign ministry's department of arms control and disarmament. Britain is represented by the Foreign Office political director, Mark Lyall Grant. --I6-- Iran, world powers plan second round of nuclear talks As negotiations close in Geneva, officials say another meeting about Tehran's program is in the works, possibly this month. At today's event, Iran and the U.S. hold a rare one-on-one meeting. By Paul Richter and Michael Muskal October 1, 2009 | 9:24 a.m. Reporting from Los Angeles and Geneva - Iran and the major powers will hold another round of negotiations on the Islamic Republic's disputed nuclear program, officials said today after completing talks in Geneva, where representatives of Washington and Tehran held a rare one-on-one meeting. U.S. confirmed the next set of talks. The second meeting also was reported on Iranian state television, which said it would take place this month. Undersecretary of State William Burns met Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief negotiator, "on the margins" of the nuclear talks this morning, said State Department spokesman Robert A. Wood. The meeting lasted about 30 minutes. The bilateral session came after Iran and representatives of six great powers convened this morning in a secluded villa on the outskirts of Geneva to try to relieve growing international pressure over Tehran's nuclear program. Burns and Jalili went off as the others ate a buffet lunch. Such a meeting has rarely taken place since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 ruptured ties between Washington and Tehran. After lunch, the diplomats reconvened in a plenary session and talked for several more hours this afternoon. Expectations for today's session were low going into today's session. U.S. officials said they expected it might lead to another meeting. Officials from other delegations said the schedule at Villa Le Saugy was intentionally flexible. Some said there was a chance that the Iranians might simply declare that they intended to press ahead with their program, though most officials believe that Iran feels strong pressure to respond to world concerns. With the disclosure last week that Iran is building a secret nuclear facility, and the world uproar over June's disputed election results, "they may feel they need to show themselves to be more interested in cooperation," said one European official. "It's fine to be defiant but Iran does not want to be isolated." Some analysts believe Iran's strategy today may be to try to convince the Russian delegation, headed by Sergei Ryabkov, that it is willing to cooperate at least at a minimum level. Russia has been a defender of Iran, and might be the most likely to argue that minimal cooperation was enough to justify further meetings instead of a turn to discussions on tougher economic sanctions. But U.S. and Western European officials are likely to be more wary of Iranian attempts to run out the clock. The talks in Geneva come less than a week after revelations of a new Iranian installation that U.S. officials said was designed for enriching uranium in secret. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes, but the U.S. and its allies believe that Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Today's session pits Iran against the P5 plus one -- the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany. It comes amid growing anger over Iran's nuclear program, which the Islamic republic says is solely for peaceful purposes. Last week in Pittsburgh, President Obama, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy accused Iran of building a secret facility to enrich uranium to weapons-grade quality. The enrichment plant, near the holy city of Qom, is too small to make commercial quantities of fuel, according to Western intelligence, which has been monitoring the construction for years. Iran told the International Atomic Energy Agency about the Qom facility several days before the Pittsburgh news conference. Iran says it is willing to allow the Qom plant to be inspected and will work out a timetable with the IAEA, but it insists that it has a right to pursue a nuclear program. The United States and its allies argue that by violating international rules on informing the IAEA about the Qom facility, Iran was continuing a pattern of deceit on nuclear issues. Long-term, the West wants to ensure that Iran gives up any aspirations for nuclear weapons. The Qom enrichment plant is only part of the West's fears about Iran's intentions. In 2002, Iranian exiles and dissidents revealed an underground uranium enrichment facility at Natanz. Iran eventually acknowledged the facility, which is under IAEA inspection and safeguards. Natanz, with about 8,000 gas centrifuges, produces daily about four pounds of low-enriched uranium for reactor fuel. Western intelligence officials believe that Qom could eventually produce enough highly enriched uranium to make one or two bombs a year. Iran recently successfully tested two medium-range missiles, the Shahab-3 and the Sejil-2, which range enough to put Israel and parts of Europe within its reach. The United States reported that Iran halted work on designing a warhead in 2003. But other countries, including Israel, say Iran never stopped or has since resumed its warhead design aspirations. Because of the nuclear program, the United Nations approved three rounds of sanctions: in December 2006, March 2007 and March 2008. Iran is barred from importing and exporting nuclear material. It is also banned from exporting arms, and some assets have been frozen. Obama has said that Iran could face tougher sanctions if the talks do not yield results. Britain, France and Germany have said they would support a tougher approach. After being told of the Qom plant, Russia, an ally of Iran, also said it would consider tougher sanctions, but it remains unclear whether China would support another round of sanctions. The villa, owned by the canton of Geneva, is furnished in the 18th century style. It has a series of small and medium-sized rooms suitable for meetings between small numbers of delegations. But the organizers brought in one modern piece: a very large oval table that allows diplomats to cluster around their leader without any of them feeling excluded, officials said. According to a White House official, the delegates from Iran and the major powers mingled during the buffet lunch. They mostly collected on the grounds of the Villa le Saugy, with a view of Lake Geneva and the Swiss Alps. Many different groups would huddle together. Among the dishes served were: Trout almondine, cold sablefish, assorted cheeses and meats and salads including rice with olives, potato, carrot and tomato. Dessert included chocolate mousse and creme brulee. paul.richter@latimes.com Michael.muskal@latimes.com Twitter latimesmuskal