U.S. says Iran security pledge not on table

By Tabassum Zakaria and Matt Spetalnick

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday six world powers had no plans to offer Iran security guarantees to encourage it to suspend nuclear activity, hours after Russia floated the idea.

The six -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany -- last week updated and enhanced a 2006 packet of incentives to be offered Iran to shelve uranium enrichment, which the West fears Tehran might use to build atom bombs.

Iran repeated that it would not stop enrichment, which it says is for generating more electricity only. Analysts said Tehran was unlikely to be moved by the new offer because it kept a precondition that Iran shelve the program first.

Russia, which along with China has prodded Western powers to agree more in the way of "carrots" for Iran and rely less on "sticks", or sanctions, said on Wednesday they should give Tehran security guarantees to relieve Middle East tensions.

"Security guarantees are not something we are looking at the moment," White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said in Israel as President George W. Bush launched a Middle East visit.

"As we've been saying, details (of the incentive package) are still being worked out and will be presented to the Iranian government soon. The one who needs to give security guarantees is Iran, because they keep threatening to wipe Israel off the map," Johndroe told reporters when asked about Moscow's idea.

The six pressing Iran to halt nuclear activity are the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov did not specify what security guarantees might be offered. But he said a combination of negotiations and incentives could defuse the stalemate over Iranian enrichment and wider conflict in the Middle East.  Continued...