Iran demands clarity ahead of nuclear talks with US

Tehran says it is open to talks and diplomacy but will not stay silent if more attacks happen, as nuclear negotiations with the United States hang by a thread, AL24 News via the BBC reported on June 30th.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Majid Takht-e-Ravanchi, spoke to the BBC on June 30th following a series of U.S. airstrikes targeting three Iranian nuclear sites. The attacks came just days before a planned new round of Iran nuclear negotiations.

During the interview, Takht-e-Ravanchi confirmed that the Trump administration had sent a message, through intermediaries, of its interest in restarting nuclear talks. But Iran is still waiting for clarity. “We are seeking an answer to this question: are we going to see a repetition of an act of aggression while we are engaging in dialogue?”

Israel carried out the airstrikes on June 13th on Iran. Tehran has condemned the attacks as part of what it calls an ongoing “war of aggression” against its sovereignty.

Despite rising US-Iran tensions, Takht-e-Ravanchi insisted that Iran vows to maintain peaceful nuclear development. He strongly denied claims that the country is working on a nuclear weapon, explaining that international restrictions have forced Iran to rely on its own scientists and resources.

While Iran has enriched uranium to 60% purity, he stressed it remains within peaceful and legal purposes. “The level of enrichment can be discussed, the capacity can be discussed,” he said. “but the threat that ‘you must completely abandon enrichment or else you will be bombed’ is no longer logical; this is the law of the jungle.”

As both sides prepare for indirect talks in Muscat, Oman, Iran made it clear that while it prefers peace, it will remain on guard. “We do not want war,” Takht-e-Ravanchi said. He added: “But we have to be cautious, not to be surprised again.”

AL24 News via BBC