Iran official hints at halting atomic work
Adviser to supreme leader Khamenei, quoted by French daily Liberation, says Tehran accepted suspension in the past but it did not help reach a deal
The comments are the latest in conflicting signals sent by Iranian officials about whether Iran would halt uranium enrichment, the process the West fears Iran is seeking in order to build atomic bombs. Iran says its nuclear program is purely civilian.
In previous rounds of talks, Iran said it was open to discuss suspension but would explain that it was an "Illogical" Step for Iran. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ruled out suspension in a speech on Sunday.
Ali Akbar Velayati, quoted by French daily Liberation, said Iran had accepted suspension in the past but it had not helped to end the dispute.
"But if we continue to be in favor of a peaceful resolution of this problem, no idea should be unacceptable," he said.
"We have only got one red line: Respecting our right to nuclear energy, which is guaranteed in the (nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty," Velayati said.
'Decision reached via consensus'
Velayati was Iran's foreign minister under influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. He now serves as an advisor on international affairs to Khamenei.
Analysts say the supreme leader, although he has the final say on state matters, reaches decision via consensus from a broad range of opinions, from hardliners to moderates.
Ahmadinejad has ruled out suspension. "We are ready for talks but will not suspend our activities," he said on Sunday.
Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Gholamreza Aghazadeh on Tuesday echoed other officials by saying that Iran had no intention of suspending its uranium enrichment work.
"They (the West) won't reach what they are after (suspension)," ISNA quoted Aghazadeh as saying.
Iran has said it needed time to study a proposal from the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency for a nuclear "Time-out", Under which both Iranian nuclear work and UN sanctions on Iran would be suspended.
