By John Irish and Parisa Hafezi
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Iran and European powers have agreed to continue talks about Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Tuesday, after a meeting to try to strike a last-ditch deal to avert the reimposition of U.N. sanctions.
The foreign ministers of France, Britain and Germany – the so-called E3 – along with the EU’s foreign policy chief held talks with their Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
“In light of the unjustified and illegal move to begin reinstating the U.N. Security Council’s sanctions, some ideas and proposals for continuing diplomacy were raised during the meeting, and it was agreed that consultations will continue,” Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from the European powers after the talks.
PROCESS TO REIMPOSE SANCTIONS
On August 28, the E3 launched a 30-day process to reimpose U.N. sanctions, which ends on September 27, accusing Tehran of failing to abide by a 2015 deal with world powers aimed at preventing it from developing a nuclear weapon.
Tehran has long said its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
“It must be clear to everyone that, after all of Iran’s delaying tactics, the possibilities and chances of reaching a diplomatic solution before sanctions are triggered are extremely slim,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told reporters ahead of the meeting.
Iranian and European officials said on Monday that the prospects for a deal were not high, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi calling on the E3 to choose “cooperation or confrontation”.
Ali Larijani, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, criticised the West for “making empty promises”, Iranian state media reported on Tuesday, saying the Islamic Republic would only accept a “reasonable and fair proposal that guarantees Iran’s interests”.
The European powers have offered to delay reinstating sanctions for up to six months to allow space for talks on a long-term deal if Iran restores access for U.N. nuclear inspectors, addresses concerns about its stock of enriched uranium, and engages in talks with the United States.
TRUMP SAYS POSITION IS SIMPLE
U.S. President Donald Trump said during his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday that Iran could never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.
“My position is very simple: The world’s number one sponsor of terror cannot be allowed to possess the most dangerous weapon,” Trump said.
A few hours later, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a recorded message “we do not need nuclear weapons, and do not intend to produce one”.
Khamenei flatly rejected any negotiations with the United States over its nuclear work, and said “negotiations with the United States would not serve Tehran’s interests and would prove a dead-end”.
(Additional reporting by Elwely Elwelly in DubaiReporting and writing by John Irish and Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alison Williams)
