Iran To UN: Yeah, Sure

Iran continues to stall and announced it will not respond to the package of incentives agreed to by Western powers until August 22nd. They also warned that any sanctions would cause Iran to "revise it's policy".

In a statement read on state television Thursday, nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani also said Iran would take until August 22 to reply to an international offer of incentives in exchange for a halt of uranium enrichment.

But he also accused the United States, which has lumped Iran into an "axis of evil", of trying to derail diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis.

"According to the adopted plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of atomic energy over the next 20 years, the Islamic republic has decided to make some of its own nuclear fuel inside Iran," said the statement from Larijani, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

He said Tehran was "ready to find a diplomatic solution with a suitable calendar for both parties" but issued a warning to the Security Council — currently discussing ways to pressure Iran into freezing enrichment.

"If the path of confrontation is chosen instead of the path of dialogue, and if there is any action to limit the absolute rights of the Iranian people, the Islamic republic will have no choice but to revise its policy," the statement warned.

Iran says it only wants to enrich to the low levels needed to make reactor fuel and that this is a right under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The technology can, however, be extended to make weapons. Iran's failure to disclose its programme for nearly two decades aroused suspicions that it wants weapons and thus brought demands for a suspension.

Even though Russia is also indicating it is running out of patience with Tehran, the Mullahs continue there complete disdain for real negotiation. It should be obvious to the West that this is simply not going to work. A united front backed by the threat of force might still avert a crisis, but time is running out rapidly. The old model will not work on Iran, something different is required.