Iran says its stance on nuclear talks with US remains constant

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DUBAI (Reuters) -Iran remains committed to diplomacy with the United States, the government said on Monday, after a fourth round of nuclear talks with Washington due in Rome on May 3 was postponed for “logistical reasons”. 

“We have announced our commitment to continuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy, and we have shown our full readiness by participating in several rounds of negotiations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said. 

The spokesperson added that Tehran was flexible regarding the timing of talks and was waiting for details from mediator Oman regarding the next round of negotiations with the U.S.

“What matters for us is the behaviour and stances of the U.S. negotiating team,” Baghaei said, adding that contradictory statements from U.S. officials were “unhelpful” and would not impact Tehran’s determination to defend its fundamental positions, including its right to enrich uranium domestically.

On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran should import enriched uranium for its nuclear programme rather than having the ability to enrich uranium at home.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who withdrew from a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, has threatened to bomb Iran if no agreement is reached with his administration to resolve the long-standing dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme which Western countries say is geared towards weaponisation.

Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely for civilian purposes and Baghaei said on Monday that “many issues are already resolved if there is truth in the U.S. demand that the Islamic Republic should not possess nuclear weapons.”

Tehran is also ready to reschedule a round of nuclear talks with Britain, France and Germany, Baghaei said, after talks between Iran and the three European countries planned in Italy on May 2 were also postponed.

(Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Sharon Singleton)