“ISIL is a threat to world security, not our nuclear program, which is a peaceful program. Iran is a very influential country in the region and can help in the fight against the ISIL (IS) terrorists. But it is a two-way street. You give something, you take something,” says Iranian official
Iran is ready to work with the United States and its allies to stop Islamic State (IS) militants, but would like to see more flexibility on Iran’s uranium enrichment program, senior Iranian officials told a foreign news agency.
The comments from the officials, who asked not to be named, highlight how difficult it may be for the Western powers to keep the nuclear negotiations separate from other regional conflicts. Iran wields influence in the Syrian civil war and on the Iraqi government, which is fighting the advance of Islamic State fighters.
Iran has sent mixed signals about its willingness to cooperate on defeating IS, a hardline Sunni Islamist group that has seized large swaths of territory across Syria and Iraq and is blamed for a wave of sectarian violence, beheadings and massacres of civilians.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said recently that he vetoed a US overture to the Islamic Republic to work together on defeating IS, but US officials said there was no such offer. In public, both Washington and Tehran have ruled out cooperating militarily in tackling the IS threat.
But in private, Iranian officials have voiced a willingness to work with the United States on IS, though not necessarily on the battlefield. US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that Iran has a role to play in defeating Islamic State, indicating the US position may also be shifting.
“Iran is a very influential country in the region and can help in the fight against the ISIL (IS) terrorists… but it is a two-way street. You give something, you take something,” said a senior Iranian official on condition of anonymity.
“ISIL is a threat to world security, not our (nuclear) program, which is a peaceful program,” the official added.
Tehran rejects Western allegations that it is amassing the capability to produce atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear energy program.
Another Iranian official echoed the remarks. Both officials said they would like the United States and its Western allies to show flexibility on the number of atomic centrifuges Tehran could keep under any long-term deal that would lift sanctions in exchange for curbs on Tehran’s nuclear program.
“Both sides can show flexibility that will lead to an acceptable number for everyone,” another Iranian official said.
WEST WANTS TO KEEP ATOMIC TALKS SEPARATE:
Western officials told the foreign news outfit that Iran has not raised this idea in nuclear negotiations with the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China that resumed in New York on Friday. Diplomats close to the talks say they are unlikely to settle in New York on a long-term accord that would lift sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iranian nuclear work.
The Western officials said it would be difficult for them to even discuss the point in the atomic negotiations as the United States and its allies are determined to keep the nuclear negotiations focused exclusively on atomic issues as the Nov. 24 deadline for a deal nears.
“We are seeing as we get closer to the end of the talks that the Iranians are tempted to bring other dossiers to the table,” a senior Western diplomat said.
“They sometimes indicate that if there were to not be a (nuclear) deal, the other dossiers in region would be more complicated,” he added. “The six are determined not to bring the other subjects to the nuclear negotiations table.”
The New York talks among senior foreign ministry officials from the six powers and Iran are taking place on the sidelines of this week’s annual gathering of world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
The number of nuclear centrifuges has emerged as the principal sticking point in negotiations, which are expected to continue in New York until at least September 26.
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