The European Union chastised Iran on its failure to halt uranium enrichment Friday, yet continued to be united in preferring a diplomatic solution to the nuclear crisis.
The European Union said Friday that it is too early to punish Tehran for its failure to halt uranium enrichment by the UN Security Council's deadline.
"This is not the time or place" for sanctions, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said after a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers. "For the EU, diplomacy remains the No. 1 way forward."
The EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said he would meet with Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, in the coming days, likely in Europe.
"That does not mean that Iran has indefinite time," Solana told reporters. "We hope that at the next meeting, or couple of meetings, we have enough knowledge (about Iran's position) to see if formal negotiations can start."
The United States, Britain and France took a tougher line on the issue, however.
British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she expected officials from the five permanent council members and Germany to meet soon to discuss the situation. Those six nations have offered a package of economic incentives seeking to entice Iran into giving up uranium enrichment.
"Our goal remains a negotiated solution on the basis of far-reaching proposals" in the package, Beckett said in a statement.
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said the offer of economic incentives remained on the table. "I repeat our readiness to
have a lucid, responsible and transparent dialogue. We are holding out our hand."
Although the US supports taking action against Iran, John Bolton, US ambassador to the United Nations, said the Security Council would wait to consider possible actions until after Solana met with Larijani.
Earlier Thursday President Bush said that "there must be consequences" for Iran's defiance, saying "the world now faces a grave threat from the radical regime in Iran."
Russia and China, which as permanent members of the Security Council can veto its actions, have generally opposed punishing Iran. Trade sanctions could cut off badly needed oil exports to China, and Russia is helping Iran build a nuclear reactor.
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