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BRUSSELS — European leaders pressed Iran Friday to stick by a deal
that would limit its uranium enrichment, voicing "grave concern" over
the country's nuclear program.

Western diplomats said this week
that Tehran had rejected a plan proposed by International Atomic Energy
Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei at talks involving Iran, the U.S.,
Russia and France.

The plan calls for Iran to export most of its
enriched uranium. Iran missed an initial deadline of last Friday to
respond, and instead this week offered to enrich its uranium to a
higher level inside the country under U.N. supervision.

EU
leaders expressed "grave concern over the development of Iran's nuclear
program, and Iran's persistent failure to meet its international
obligations," according to a draft statement circulating on the second
day of a two-day EU summit in Brussels.

The statement urged Iran
to agree to the U.N. atomic watchdog's proposal for supplying nuclear
fuel to Tehran's research reactor, saying such an agreement "would
contribute to building confidence." A copy of the statement was
obtained by The Associated Press.

The Iranians' counteroffer drew criticism in Europe and Israel.

"It's
the same old tricks," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose
country holds told the European Union's rotating pr... >>>