Iran rules out US Senator Kerry’s visit

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Tehran does not take rumors of US Senator John Kerry’s proposed visit to Tehran seriously.

The American bimonthly, Foreign Policy magazine on Friday reported that Kerry had “offered” to travel to the Iranian capital to broker “a last-ditch agreement” with Tehran over its nuclear program.

“American senators have time and again wanted to visit Tehran or to negotiate with members of the parliament,” Iranian MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi said.

“Their policy with regards to Iran, especially during [Barack] Obama’s term … has not changed at all,” he added.

This attitude “has left Iran with no reason to believe in negotiations,” the lawmaker continued.

Last year, Hossein Taqavi, a member of the Majlis National Security Commission, said the US congresswomen have requested a meeting with female members of Iran’s Majlis.

Iran had also made public another official US request for talks between the American congressmen and the Iranian parliamentarians.

While attending the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in October 2008, the Iranian lawmakers reportedly received a letter from the US officials in Washington, asking for a meeting.

The West accuses Tehran of pursuing a military agenda with its nuclear program, despite the UN nuclear watchdog’s constant monitoring of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

The two sides came close to ending the dispute through a nuclear deal back in August, but the powers’ refusal to appease Iran’s concerns over details of the agreement led to a temporary break down in talks over the issue.

The UN-backed proposal, which was first floated by the Obama administration, required Iran to send most of its domestically-enriched low-grade uranium out of the country for further refinement of up to 20 percent.

Iran needs the fuel for the Tehran reactor, which produces radioisotopes that are used in cancer treatment procedures in over 200 hospitals across the country.

Despite having accepted the general aspects of the draft deal, Iran refused to officially accept the proposal, as its concerns about the other side’s commitment to its obligations were not addressed.