Iran says agreement possible through indirect negotiations with US

Tehran, Nov 2 (IANS) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said Tehran is not interested in direct negotiations with Washington, but an agreement can be reached through indirect talks.

In an interview with Qatar's Al Jazeera released Saturday, Araghchi expressed Iran's readiness to hold talks to address concerns about its nuclear program, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have no desire to hold direct negotiations with Washington, but we can achieve an agreement through indirect negotiations," he noted.

Reiterating the peaceful nature of its nuclear program, Araghchi said Iran's uranium enrichment cannot be stopped, and that "what could not be achieved by war cannot be achieved through politics."

He said the country's 400 kg stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium is still buried under the rubble of Iran's bombed atomic facilities and has not been transferred to another place.

"We suffered major losses in our nuclear facilities, both in terms of structures and equipment, but our technology remains intact." He was referring to the US bombing of the three Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan on June 22.

Iran and the United States had held five rounds of indirect talks on Tehran's nuclear program and the removal of US sanctions before Israel launched major surprise airstrikes on several areas in Iran in June. The US forces later joined in the bombing.

Over the past months, the United States has repeatedly called on Iran to stop uranium enrichment on its soil and curb its missile program. Iran has rejected these demands, saying both issues are non-negotiable.

--IANS

int/rs