Iran accepts compromise in atom treaty talks

By Mark Heinrich

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran on Tuesday accepted a compromise for the agenda of global talks on how to shore-up the troubled nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, averting a collapse of the meeting after a week of deadlock.

Iran, accused by the West of seeking to build a nuclear bomb, had blocked consensus on the agenda text over a phrase it feared would heap blame on it during debate for the NPT's ills. Tehran dropped its objection after a footnote was added spelling out that other challenges to the treaty would be addressed.

Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian use only. But the Islamic Republic has come under U.N. sanctions for refusing to suspend nuclear enrichment after allegations it dodged a U.N. nuclear watchdog investigation into its programme.

Iran's acceptance of the compromise allowed the two-week gathering of 130 nations, due to run until Friday, to launch a debate on setting priorities for follow-up meetings leading to the next decision-making NPT Review Conference in 2010.

The NPT binds members without nuclear weapons not to acquire them, guarantees the right of all members to peaceful nuclear energy, and obligates the original five nuclear powers from the post-World War Two era to dismantle arsenals in stages.

The meeting comes ahead of next month's summit of the Group of Eight industrial powers in Germany, which G8 diplomats say could see members backing "further measures" against Iran if it does not comply with U.N. demands to suspend its nuclear enrichment programme, G8 diplomats said on Tuesday.

Analysts said Iran's hold-up of proceedings had dismayed fellow states in the Non-Aligned Movement of developing nations.

"NAM wants to raise pressure on nuclear weapons' states but worried that Iran's (agenda) shenanigans could prevent that, weaken respect for the NPT and play into the hands of the anti-multilateralist faction in Washington," Rebecca Johnson of the London-based Acronym Institute think tank told Reuters.