Iran rejects West's 'language of force'
Iran is ready for talks over its nuclear programme but rejects West's 'language of force' over the issue.
Iran is ready for unconditional talks over its nuclear programme but rejects the West's "language of force" over the issue, one of the Islamic republic's religious leaders said on Friday.
Iran also said that it would soon announce new nuclear successes in its quest for nuclear power that the West fear is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons.
"Iran is favourable toward negotiations that are just, logical and without preconditions, but refuses the language of force," Ahmad Khatami said in a Friday sermon broadcast on state radio.
"Using the language of force with Iran is a foolish and clumsy attitude," said Khatami, who is a member of Iran's Assembly of Experts.
The United States and other world powers have reacted coolly to Iran's response to a package of incentives offered by the five permanent Security Council members and Germany in return for a moratorium on sensitive uranium activities.
"During the war in Lebanon, the Security Council showed that it acted as the United States' valet ... We advise Russia and China not to fall into the Americans' trap," he said.
Government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham also announced that Iran would soon unveil some fresh successes in its nuclear programme.