Iran agrees to resume dialogue with world powers

Iran’s main nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili agreed in phone talks today to resume dialogue with world powers in August on Tehran’s contested programme, the EU’s top diplomat said. She did not say if these would be face-to-face talks or more phone contact.

Working on behalf of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, European Union High Representative Ashton is trying to elevate dialogue with Tehran into a stable exchange after tortuous stop-start diplomacy. The so-called P5+1 group she represents has told Iran to immediately stop enriching uranium to the 20 percent level, to ship out its existing 20 percent stock and to shut down a fortified underground enrichment facility.
Iran insists it has a right to uranium enrichment under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and wants Western sanctions on its economy to be eased.