Iran Snubs Precondition to Resume Talks

United Press International, Science Daily:

Iran Wednesday rejected a European request to halt operations at its uranium conversion plant in Isfahan as a precondition for resuming negotiations. The Iranian News Agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Asafi as saying, "The Europeans asked us to cease activities at Isfahan in order to resume negotiations later this month, but we have refused that precondition." READ MORE

He accused the Europeans of having breached an agreement reached in Paris that acknowledged Iran's right to peaceful nuclear activities.

"The Paris agreement was violated unilaterally by the agreement, because activities at Isfahan have nothing to do with enriching uranium and do not violate nuclear non-proliferation agreements," Asafi said.

He stressed that by conducting negotiations on its nuclear activities with the Europeans, Iran is "seeking to win international acknowledgement of its right to possess peaceful nuclear technology."

Iran, which denies U.S. accusations of seeking to produce weapons of mass destruction, has for months been conducting negotiations with France, Britain and Germany on the future of its nuclear activities.