US, Iran spar at UN Security Council over conditions for reviving nuclear talks |
The United States and Iran traded barbs at the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday over conditions for reviving nuclear talks, with the US saying it remains ready for direct negotiations and Iran rejecting Washington’s terms.
The two countries held five rounds of nuclear talks prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking Iranian nuclear sites.
The talks faced major stumbling blocks, notably over uranium enrichment on Iranian soil — a practice Western powers want eliminated to minimize the risk of weaponization, but which Tehran has firmly rejected.
“The United States remains available for formal talks with Iran, but only if Tehran is prepared for direct and meaningful dialogue,” Trump’s deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus told the Security Council on Tuesday.
“We have been clear, however, about certain expectations for any arrangement. Foremost, there can be no enrichment inside of Iran, and that remains our principle,” Ortagus said.
Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani told the meeting that the US was not pursuing........