Iran says ready to resume nuclear talks

TEHRAN — Iran has always been, and will be, "ready for talks" on its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday.

"However, it should naturally be guaranteed that in case the negotiation starts again, it will not lead to a war to be waged by the United States or other parties," Araghchi said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors and representatives.

The recent Israel-Iran fighting proved there is no other alternative but to return to diplomacy and a negotiated and agreed solution, Araghchi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency.

The United States "betrayed diplomacy and the negotiating table" by assisting Israel in attacking Iran and by directly targeting Iranian nuclear facilities afterward, he said.

Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military sites, and the US strike on June 22, Araghchi said if the US and others wish to resume talks with Iran, "first of all, there should be a firm guarantee that such actions will not be repeated. The attack on Iran's nuclear facilities has made it more difficult and complicated to achieve a solution based on negotiations."

Following the strikes, Iran suspended cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.

Araghchi said under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's request for cooperation on a "case by case", based on Iran's interests.

He also said any inspection by the agency should be done based on Iran's "security" concerns as well as the safety of the inspectors.

In any negotiation, the nuclear rights of the Iranian people, including the domestic enrichment of uranium, should be respected, he said, stressing that any potential negotiation should solely focus on Iran's nuclear program, and its military capabilities will be nonnegotiable.

Tehran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency has not stopped and has only taken on a new form, he said, adding that from now on, Iran's relations with the IAEA will be managed through the country's Supreme National Security Council, which will decide about future cooperation with the IAEA after considering security and safety issues.

On July 1, Iran enacted a law on suspending cooperation with the IAEA and channeled its future cooperation with the agency through Iran's Supreme National Security Council instead of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization.

Xinhua - Agencies