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Talks with US would not benefit Iran: Khamenei

Posted on: Tuesday, 27 June 2006, 06:14 CDT

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Tuesday that talks with the United States held no benefits for the Islamic Republic.

Washington has offered to join the European Union's direct talks with Iran if Tehran agrees to halt its uranium enrichment work, the key demand in a package that has the backing of six world powers. Iran has so far no replied to that offer.

"Negotiating with America does not have any benefit for us and we do not need such negotiations," Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television.

On Iran's nuclear dispute with the West, Khamenei said: "We will not negotiate with anybody our certain right to reach and use nuclear technology. However, if they recognize this right for us, we are prepared to talk about international controls, supervision and guarantees, and the ground for such negotiations have been prepared."

In March, it had looked like talks between the two countries could go ahead after Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran would talk to the United States to help resolve problems in Iraq.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has sanctioned such a meeting but also said talks could only proceed if the United States stopped its "bullying attitude."

But President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in April such talks were not needed since a permanent Iraqi government was in place.

Source: REUTERS

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