A top Iranian nuclear official has denied saying Iran was ready to hold
talks with the West on its atomic drive "without preconditions," state
television reported Tuesday.
"No comments or interview with TV networks has been made on
nuclear talks or conditions," the television quoted Iran's envoy to the
International Atomic Energy Agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, as saying.
The television had earlier quoted Soltanieh as saying:
"Negotiations without preconditions is Iran's main stance on the
nuclear issue."
Instead, Soltanieh said he had referred to a letter he sent
to the IAEA calling for the U.N. nuclear watchdog's September meeting
to approve an initiative to prohibit armed attacks against nuclear
facilities around the world.
"The only issue that was raised was to ban threats and
attacks on the world's nuclear installations because it is an
international issue," he said, the television reported.
U.S, President Barack Obama has given Iran until September
to take up an offer by world powers of talks if it freezes uranium
enrichment, or face harsher sanctions.
The West and Israel suspect Iran of secretly trying to build
nuclear weapons, charges Iran denies, saying its atomic program is for
energy generation.