Bush Says Iran's Enrichment Suspension Falls Short of US Demands

President George W. Bush said Tuesday that Iran's agreement to halt uranium enrichment was welcome but fell short of what Washington required, calling it "certainly not the final step." The US position, he said, was that Iran must end its nuclear weapons program entirely, not simply pause it.

The remarks followed a Monday decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency to hold off on referring Iran to the UN Security Council for potential sanctions. Tehran had reached a deal with Britain, France, and Germany to suspend enrichment activities, averting an immediate escalation.

Bush described the Iranian move as positive but said any resolution had to be independently verifiable. He pledged continued US cooperation with the three European powers that brokered the agreement.

The comments came during Bush's first official working visit to Canada since he took office in January 2001, where he appeared alongside the Canadian prime minister at a joint public event.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in November 2004, in its own words.