Israeli Prime Minister Olmert (file photo) (epa)
April 22, 2007 -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said he prefers diplomacy -- as opposed to a military operation -- in dealing with Iran's nuclear program.
In an interview aired today, Olmert said international efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions could be successful.
In Tehran today, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini made clear his country would not halt its nuclear-fuel-enrichment program.
But he said talks between Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani and EU foreign-policy chief Javier Solana on April 25 could lead to a solution to Iran's dispute with the West.
The UN Security Council has imposed two sets of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt its uranium-enrichment activities. Tehran says its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western countries and Israel suspect Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
(AFP, AP, Reuters)