Iran must verify US honesty before talks: Iranian FM

Iran’s Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi says the Americans must prove their honesty after the White House announced that it remains open to direct talks with Iran over its nuclear energy program.

“Talks will only be held on the condition that the necessary confidence in the Americans’ honesty is established for us, because previous experiences have proven otherwise,” Salehi said in an interview with Euronews TV channel in Munich, Germany, IRNA reported.

Speaking at the 49th annual Munich Security Conference in Germany on Saturday, US Vice President Joe Biden said that Washington is ready to hold direct talks with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.

Salehi is also in Germany to participate in the annual event.

Chairman of Iran’s Majlis Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Saturday that the decision about direct negotiations between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear energy program should be made by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

Boroujerdi added that Iran and the US have already held several rounds of talks over issues such as the crisis in Iraq, adding, “However, this issue (nuclear energy program) is different from general negotiations over bilateral ties.”

The Iranian lawmaker said Washington’s lack of honesty had been one of the reasons why Tehran had never welcomed the US proposal for direct talks.

“The US vice president’s proposal for direct talks with Iran comes at a time when the US Congress seeks to impose more sanctions [on Iran] and these two approaches are not compatible,” Boroujerdi added.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Over the false allegation, Washington and the European Union have imposed illegal unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran refutes the allegation and argues that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.