UNITED NATIONS:
Iran and European powers have agreed to continue talks about Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after a meeting to try to strike a last-ditch deal to avert the reimposition of UN sanctions.
The foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany — the so-called E3 — along with the EU’s foreign policy chief held talks with their Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“In light of the unjustified and illegal move to begin reinstating the U.N. Security Council’s sanctions, some ideas and proposals for continuing diplomacy were raised during the meeting, and it was agreed that consultations will continue,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
After the meeting, a French diplomatic source said the discussion will continue to “explore all possibilities to the fullest”, adding that Iran has yet to meet the conditions set by the E3 to avert the revival of UN sanctions.
Speaking to Reuters in New York, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday there were “intense” conversations between him, Iran, European powers and the United States to find a solution, adding that a team of inspectors was on its way to Iran should Tehran and European powers reach a deal this week.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message “we do not need nuclear weapons, and do not intend to produce one”.
Khamenei flatly rejected any negotiations with the United States over its nuclear work, and said “negotiations with the United States would not serve Tehran’s interests and would prove a dead-end”.