Kerry: U.S. ready for talks if Iran moves to scrap nuclear program
By Sara Rajabova
The United States is ready to negotiate with Iran if it takes specific steps to abandon its nuclear program, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on October 3, IТАR-ТАSS news agency reported.
In late September, Kerry said that the agreement with Tehran on nuclear weapons can be reached in less than three to six months, which was previously stated by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
According to Kerry, for this purpose Iran needs to immediately take clear and convincing steps to fulfill the demands of the international community over its nuclear program, which should be peaceful.
Answering a question at a press conference in Tokyo as to what specific steps Washington would like for Tehran to take, he said the Iranian authorities could open a secret facility in Fordow for inspection and sign additional protocols to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and "voluntarily not to enrich uranium beyond a certain level."
Kerry said that recent contacts with Iran were "encouraging" to resolve the problem, but "words cannot replace deeds."
"We need acts that will confirm that the (Iranian nuclear) program does not threaten us and our friends and allies in the region," Kerry said.
On sanctions against Iran, Kerry said "the United States would not cancel them until a verifiable, reliable and transparent process with regard to its nuclear program is started and it becomes clear how the Iranians intend to continue implementing the program". If that happens, of course, the sanctions could be lifted, Kerry said.
U.S. President Barack Obama and President Rouhani had a telephone conversation during the latter's visit to the United States to attend the UN General Assembly session. This phone conversation was the first direct communication of the U.S. and Iranian officials since Iran's Islamic Revolution of 1979 and was deemed as a thaw in U.S.-Iran relations.
Commenting on the presidents' conversation, the U.S. State Department's Persian-speaking spokesman Alan Eyre told Trend news agency that the fact that such a telephone conversation took place for the first time since 1979 shows that there is mistrust and suspicion between the two administrations. At the same time, this indicates a possibility of leaving the tension behind, Eyre said.
Eyre said President Obama believes that there are grounds for solving the nuclear issue, saying the United States will respect the peaceful nuclear program of Iran provided that it fulfills its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
He added that resolution of the nuclear issue will help to establish a new bilateral relationship based on mutual respect and common interests.
The West suspects Tehran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, but Iran insists it is purely for peaceful purposes.
Tehran has rejected the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.