. . .

QUESTION: Changing the subject, please. Iran.

MR. ERELI: Yes.

QUESTION: Iranian Foreign Minister spoke on Sunday, I quote, "America can take part in international bidding for the construction of Iran's nuclear power plant if they observe the basic standards of quality," end of quote. What's your reaction?

MR. ERELI: Iraq -- I'm sorry. I'll do it over.

QUESTION: Take two.

MR. ERELI: Take two. Iran. Iran needs to come into compliance with its NPT safeguards and satisfy the international community that it is not seeking nuclear weapons. And until it does so, the issue of nuclear cooperation is not something that we think should be on the table.

QUESTION: But it was on the table with the Russians?

MR. ERELI: Well, only if it comes into compliance with its safeguards obligations and ensures the international community that it's not seeking nuclear weapons.

QUESTION: But their goal is maybe continuing to nuclear defense and even though that they are talking about U.S. participation?

MR. ERELI: Look, nobody should be talking about U.S. participation in any Iranian nuclear program. That's the biggest pipedream I've ever heard of. Okay? So if anybody wants to put it forward, great, but they might as well as be living in Alice in Wonderland. So I think that should put an end to the discussion.

QUESTION: It's on another aspect of Iran, if that's okay. Mohamed ElBaradei said today that he called on the United States to become more engaged in the talks and said that security assurances by the United States should be part of the solution in trying to persuade Iran --

MR. ERELI: I had not seen those remarks. I want to look at them carefully before I comment on them because I hadn't seen anything like that before. I think, without referring to those comments specifically, I would just reiterate to you that we think -- we believe our role at present is appropriate. We are acting as a member of the Board of Governors to help bring to light and answer questions concerning the scope of Iranians' -- bring to light the scope of Iran's nuclear program and answer questions concerning suspect activities. And we're also supporting the diplomacy of the EU-3 and others as they seek to find a way, through negotiations, to bring Iran into compliance with its safeguards obligations and to provide the world assurances that they don't have a nuclear weapons program.

QUESTION: Let me just follow through, then, Adam. Actually, the remarks I'll leave with you if you want to follow up later. But just on a more absolute basis there, why would not the United States want to be involved in giving security assurances to Iran, which has been requesting them for a long time because they have U.S. troops in countries on both sides? The U.S. has given security assurances to North Korea. Why would we not do that in this particular case where it would advance the ball?

MR. ERELI: I guess, you know, it's hard to answer -- not only is it hard to answer a hypothetical, it's hard to answer as vague a hypothetical as that. So --

QUESTION: It's pretty specific.

MR. ERELI: No, I think it's --

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. ERELI: Anyway. I'll put it this way.

QUESTION: Thank you, Barry.

MR. ERELI: I'll put it this way. The EU-3 is undertaking a diplomatic effort or is leading a diplomatic effort to negotiate with Iran to get Iran to have a program -- sorry -- to get Iran to provide assurances that are credible to the world that it is not engaging in a nuclear weapons program and to bring Iran into compliance with its obligations. None of us want to see an Iran that has a nuclear weapons program. All of us are working together in an effort to prevent that.

The question is not, frankly -- and this I think is the important point -- the question is not why does the United States do (a) and why doesn't the United States do (b). And oh gee whiz, if only the United States would do this, we wouldn't have a problem. Let's focus attention on where it should be, which is a consistent and established pattern of Iranian misbehavior and Iranian violation of its commitments and Iranian deception. And before anybody asks the United States to do something, it's up to Iran to answer the questions, act like a responsible member of the international community and stop violating its agreements with the EU-3 and others.

Once they do that -- and that would represent a sea change in its behavior -- once they do that, then maybe notions of -- other kinds of notions might be more palatable. But right now, I don't think people should be asking the United States, "Why don't you do this or why don't you do that?" People should be asking Iran, "When are you going to do what the international community has been calling on you to do for, you know, five years?"

QUESTION: Does the U.S. back the European negotiations with Iran?

MR. ERELI: Yes.

QUESTION: The Europeans have offered concessions, economic concessions in an attempt to work out a deal to get Iran to stop its nuclear program. I didn't know that the U.S. didn't support that. You don't support a brokered agreement with Iran that might involve, as with North Korea, a U.S. pledge not to attack Iran?

MR. ERELI: That is not -- that's not an issue that's come up, Barry.

QUESTION: No, it hasn't come up.

MR. ERELI: Mm-hmm. So it's a hypothetical.

QUESTION: Well, excuse me. We won't solve this here but it is an issue that's come up because you have Mohamed ElBaradei, who's the head of the IAEA, Nobel Prize winner, who's calling for that. And at some point there could we get some sort of response to his remark?

MR. ERELI: Maybe, maybe not. I mean, look, Peter, you're asking me to comment on a wire service of comments by the Director General of -- of ElBaradei --

QUESTION: (Inaudible.)

MR. ERELI: -- (a) that I haven't seen, (b) that doesn't -- isn't the whole remarks, (c) that I've given you what our policy is. So --

QUESTION: I'm not asking for your response now. But (a) it's not a wire service; it's AFP. Okay.

MR. ERELI: An esteemed wire service.

QUESTION: There you go. But at some point, I mean, if we can, if you can confirm these remarks when we get -- this is not just anybody who's asking for this. Can we get --

MR. ERELI: Let me put it this way.

QUESTION: Okay.

MR. ERELI: Our response to security guarantees is, first, let's see Iran do what Iran has steadfastly refused to do for almost half a dozen Board of Governors resolutions. Let's see Iran address the concerns and answer the questions of the international community. That's number one.

Number two, we will continue to support the EU-3 as it works to diplomatically address this issue and we think that's the appropriate place for diplomacy.

. . .