World Powers Reopen Talks with Iran

Catherine Ashton

United States and five other countries agreed to resume negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. Catherine Ashton, the European Union chief diplomat announced in a statement broadcast “We hope that Iran will now enter a sustained process of constructive dialogue which will deliver real progress.”

Ashton warned through a letter that Iranians must ‘engage seriously and without preconditions’, this reflects the Western concerns that Iran might seek to use negotiations to divide its adversaries and build up its enriched uranium stockpile.

The letter was sent Saeed Jalili, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. The negotiations between Iran and the bloc called ‘P5-plus-1’ – the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany – would resume talks.

The decision to resume talks came hours later after Iran announced plans to open a key military base to nuclear inspectors and added they wanted new talks with world powers on its nuclear program. (AV)