Iran open to direct nuclear talks with US if conditions met
Iran could hold direct nuclear talks with the United States if conditions are suitable, First Vice President Mohammadreza Aref said on Tuesday, according to state media. However, he dismissed US demands for Tehran to drop uranium enrichment entirely as 'a joke.'
A sixth round of talks between Tehran and Washington was suspended following Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. Both powers accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, an accusation Tehran rejects.
'Iran is ready for negotiations under equal conditions in order to safeguard its interests... The Islamic Republic's stance is in the direction that people want and, should there be suitable conditions, we are even ready for direct talks,' Aref said.
Also Read: Iran threatens planned Trump corridor envisaged by Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal
Previous rounds of negotiations, which began in April, were indirect and mediated by Oman. Washington maintains that uranium enrichment in Iran is a pathway to developing nuclear weapons and should be abandoned.
On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian voiced support for resuming negotiations with the US despite the prevailing distrust. 'You don't want to talk? Well then, what do you want to do? Do you want to go to war? ... Going to talks does not mean we intend to surrender,' he said, adding that such matters should not be 'approached emotionally.'
A senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Aziz Ghazanfari, responded on Monday, saying foreign policy requires discretion and that careless statements by authorities can have serious consequences for the country.
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