Advances seen on Iran diplomacy front

TEHRAN, Iran -- Efforts to find a diplomatic solution to Iran's disputed nuclear program appeared to get a boost yesterday when world powers agreed to new talks with Tehran, and Iran gave permission for inspectors to visit a site suspected of secret atomic work.

The two developments countered somewhat the crisis atmosphere over Iran's nuclear program, the focus of talks in Washington between President Barack Obama and Israel's visiting prime minister.

Obama, speaking at a news conference, said he saw a "window of opportunity" to use diplomacy instead of military force to resolve the dispute.

He said he is focused on "crippling sanctions" already imposed on Iran and on international pressure to keep Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iranians need to show they are serious about resolving the crisis, he said, adding that his policy is not one of containment but of stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

The United States and its allies say Iran is on a path that could lead to the production of a nuclear weapon. Iran denies that, insisting its program is for energy production and other peaceful purposes.

In Brussels, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany had agreed to a new round of nuclear talks with Iran. Previous talks have not achieved what they want: an end to uranium enrichment on Iranian soil. The last round failed in January 2011.

Ashton said the EU hopes Iran "will now enter into a sustained process of constructive dialogue which will deliver real progress in resolving the international community's long-standing concerns on its nuclear program." The time and venue of the new talks have not been set.

Britain's foreign secretary, William Hague, said the onus would "be on Iran to convince the international community that its nuclear program is exclusively peaceful." "A nuclear-armed Iran must be prevented," German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.

This week, Obama warned the United States would use military action to protect its interests, if necessary, while appealing for time for sanctions to show their effects. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Obama for his support but did little to counter concerns that Israel might go ahead on its own with an attack on Iran.