Iran Tells U.S. to Stop Bullying and Start Talks
 

With urging from the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency for Iran to come back to the negotiating table Thursday, the Islamic republic's ambassador to the United Nations said Iran wants to work directly with the United States on an "easily attainable" resolution, if Washington drops "the intimidation tactics."

Ambassador Mohammad Javad Zarif's statement came the day after the International Atomic Energy Agency pleaded with Iran to continue talks with European nations that want to offer it incentives in exchange for ending its nuclear-enrichment program.

"We are prepared to engage in serious discussion in order to resolve this issue, and we have not made any exception with regard to the United States," Zarif said.

Iran ended its voluntary cooperation with the IAEA in February, which included ending surprise inspections of its nuclear facilities.

Despite accusations from the United States and other countries that Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.

That beef would need to be resolved before Iran and the United States could have any meaningful discussion, Zarif said, explaining that Washington must acknowledge that Iran has a right to nuclear technology under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

At the same time, Zarif said, Iran would have to acknowledge that it has a responsibility not to pursue nuclear weapons. This is in Iran's best interests, he said, because "from a sober, strategic analysis, Iran's security will be decreased by possession or pursuit of nuclear weapons, rather than increased."

The United States could get further with Iran if it were to "ban the pressure tactics, the intimidation tactics" and talk with Iran directly, rather than through European nations and the United Nations, he said.