Prospects for resolving the conflict over Iran’s nuclear program have improved following signs of “good faith” from Western powers, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said.
For the first time during any of the international nuclear talks, “we witnessed signals that the other side is acting in good faith,” Salehi told a news conference in Tehran today, referring to discussions last month in Almaty, Kazakhstan. “We hope they continue to do so.”
The West wants “to deal with Iran; they are not after confrontation,” Salehi said in comments translated from Farsi and broadcast by state-run Press TV. Over time, Western nations have understood that Iran “is not a country that gives in to their illogical demands,” he said.
Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, says its atomic program is purely civilian and intended for electricity production and medical research. The US and its allies say Iran’s nuclear program may have a military intent and have imposed financial, trade and energy sanctions to try to force the government in Tehran to curb its activities.