WarSclerotic

Ahmadinejad aide says Iran not ready to talk nuclear with global powers – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Iran President said on Saturday parties must declare their opinion on Israel’s alleged nuclear arsenal before talking with Iran.

By Reuters

Iran will not discuss its nuclear program at talks with global powers that could take place next month, an adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday, adding doubt to the chance of a successful negotiation.

Ali Akbar Javanfekr, a media adviser to the president, said the countries which want to resume talks on Iran’s nuclear activities which they fear might lead it to weapons capability, had yet to address Ahmadinejad’s conditions.

“We will not be talking with the Western party about the nuclear energy issue in this round of the negotiations with this party,” Javanfekr said, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Iran said on Friday it was ready to resume talks with the P5+1 group — the permanent members of the UN Security Council: Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany — after Nov. 10. But the final date, venue and agenda have yet to be agreed.

In a television interview on Saturday night, Ahmadinejad reiterated his position that, before talks could resume, the other parties should say whether they come to the table as Iran’s friends.

“From the very beginning we told them that they have no option but negotiating with Iran. But it should be based on justice,” he said on state-run TV.

“(We ask) on the basis of what framework are you going to negotiate? Is it based on justice and respect? But they do not dare announce it yet,” Ahmadinejad said.

He has also asked the parties to declare their opinion on Israel’s alleged nuclear arsenal. Israel has said it does not rule out striking Iran militarily to prevent it getting an atomic bomb.

The Security Council passed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran in June, followed by tougher measures from the United States and the European Union, aimed at forcing Iran back to the negotiating table.

The P5+1 states want Iran to suspend enrichment work which can have both civilian and military uses, in exchange for trade and diplomatic benefits on offer since 2006.

Iran says its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful and denies it is seeking nuclear arms, but it has refused to accept demands from the UN Security Council to halt uranium enrichment and has been subjected to tightened sanctions since June aimed at getting it to comply.

Skeptics accuse Iran of stalling talks while it continues to stockpile nuclear material. Iran insists it has a right to enrichment under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He did not say what the talks would cover if they do not address the nuclear issue.

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