Iran hints at agreeing to enrichment freeze

The EU's "Big Three" powers, Britain, France and Germany, have offered Iran a deal in which Tehran would indefinitely suspend nuclear fuel cycle activities in return for EU help with civilian nuclear technology and a resumption of trade talks.

The freeze on enrichment activities -- which can be used to make bomb-grade material -- must happen before the International Atomic Energy Agency on Nov. 25 or the EU would join Washington in seeking to send Iran's case to the UN Security Council.

Iranian officials Sunday rejected the EU proposal as unbalanced, but also said they wanted further negotiations.

But in a sign Tehran may agree to the original EU offer, Hassan Rohani, secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said an "indefinite" freeze did not mean the same thing as a "permanent" halt to enrichment.

"The Europeans say indefinite because Iran and Europe are supposed to hold negotiations for a long time," he told reporters after a meeting with parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission