(2006-06-07) — In what may be a major breakthrough in stalled talks over Iran’s uranium enrichment program, the United States has reportedly offered to give long-range nuclear weapons to the Islamic Republic in exchange for assurances that it will soon stop production of nuclear material.

A State Department official, speaking on condition anonymity because the deal is not complete, said the United States would provide at least three dozen land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) tipped with multiple independently-targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV), as well as technical assistance and training to build the missile silos and bring them online before the end of 2008.

“We realized that the only way to halt Iran’s nuclear weapons program was to eliminate the need,” said the unnamed State Department source. “We’re very hopeful that this carrot-without-stick approach will appeal to them.”

U.S. officials were encouraged when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not immediately reject the offer, but demanded face-to-face talks with U.S. President George Bush, and also required that Mr. Bush appear at the negotiations wearing pink fuzzy slippers.

The Bush administration is said to be studying the counter-proposal.

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