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Iran Would Resume Nuclear Talks 07/14 06:13
(AP) -- Iran's foreign minister said Saturday that his country would accept
a resumption of nuclear talks with the U.S. if there were assurances of no more
attacks against it, state media reported.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign
diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for
talks about its nuclear program, but, "assurance should be provided that in
case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war."
Referring to the 12-day Israeli bombardment of Iran's nuclear and military
sites, and the U.S. strike on June 22, Araghchi said that if the U.S. 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 U.N. nuclear
watchdog, which led to the departure of inspectors.
Araghchi said that under Iranian law, the country will answer the agency's
request for cooperation "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. "The risk of proliferation of
radioactive ingredients and an explosion of ammunition that remains from the
war in the attacked nuclear sites is serious," he said.
He also reiterated Iran's position on the need to continue enriching uranium
on its soil. U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that cannot happen.
Israel claims it acted because Tehran was within reach of a nuclear weapon.
U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency had
assessed Iran last had an organized nuclear weapons program in 2003, though
Tehran had been enriching uranium up to 60% -- a short, technical step away
from weapons-grade levels of 90%.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in an interview published Monday said
the U.S. airstrikes so badly damaged his country's nuclear facilities that
Iranian authorities still have not been able to access them to survey the
destruction.
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