Iran Rejects Direct Nuclear Talks With U.S.

Iran yesterday said it would not conduct direct discussions with the United States over its nuclear program, the Xinhua News Agency reported (see GSN, Aug. 7).

“Minor talks can, however, be held within the G-5+1 framework with the United States as a member of the U.N. Security Council so as to solve the nuclear issue speedily,” Abdolreza Rahman Fazli, deputy head of Iran's supreme national security council, told the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Fazli was referring to the five permanent nations of the U.N. Security Council — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States — plus Germany.

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei had proposed that Iran hold direct talks with the United States on the nuclear standoff.

Fazli said Iran is cooperating fully with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, although it has not halted its nuclear program.

Fazli said Tehran expects goodwill efforts from the international community in return for its cooperation with IAEA inspectors (see GSN, July 23).

“This can be helpful in preventing issuance of another (anti-Iran) resolution and sanctions,” he said (Xinhua News Agency/China View, Aug. 8).

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday that Tehran would refuse to hold discussions with any country that did not concede Iran’s right to pursue a civilian nuclear program, the Associated Press reported.

“Iran cannot hold discussions with countries that do not recognize this right,” he said at a news conference in Algiers.  “The Iranian people will … continue their efforts toward acquiring nuclear energy for peaceful ends” (Aomar Ouali, Associated Press/International Herald Tribune, Aug. 7).

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