The United States warned Monday that Iran must be ready to discuss its "illicit nuclear weapons program" in crunch talks on October 1 with six world powers concerned about its atomic strategy.
Iran denies its uranium enrichment activities are part of an attempt to manufacture weapons. It has said it would be prepared to field questions about the atomic program but will not trade away its rights to nuclear energy.
"I don't know what's on their agenda, but I know what's on our agenda and I know what's on the agenda for countries around the world that are concerned about Iran's illicit nuclear weapons program," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
"It will be part of that discussion, and if Iran is unwilling to discuss their illicit nuclear weapons program, I think all that does is strengthen the hand of the international community in underscoring the obligations, again, that the Iranians are failing to live up to," Gibbs said on Air Force One.
"So I think this will be an interesting moment and we'll see if it's something that — if it's something they don't want to talk about, I think that will speak volumes around the world."
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said the five UN Security Council permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — plus Germany would push for more transparency from Iran at next month's meeting.
"We are united in this common goal of getting… the Iranians to introduce more transparency into their nuclear program," Kelly said.
The talks will involve the political directors of the foreign ministries of the six powers, including the State Department's William Burns.
The seven-way meeting is the first since July last year, when then-president George W. Bush sent Burns to a similar but inconclusive meeting with Iran in Geneva.
In Vienna, US Secretary of Energy Steven Chu told reporters on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency's general conference that the October talks with Iran are "an important first step and one hopes for the best."
Earlier, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana spoke by telephone with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and they agreed that talks would be held on October 1 between Iran and representatives of the six powers.
US and European officials said a venue for the talks has not yet been decided but a State Department official told reporters on the condition of anonymity that the talks would take place somewhere in Europe.
The six powers had called for urgent talks with Iran after it handed new proposals to their representatives in Tehran last Wednesday.
Washington had expressed disappointment with the package, saying it was not responsive to its greatest concern, the nuclear issue.
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