In May, Iran sent a similar letter to the EU, but the EU said it contained nothing new that warranted another meeting.
Iran has not met with the Big Six countries since January when the talks ended amid Western complaints that the Islamic Republic was just stalling with time-wasting speeches.
A number of analysts said they thought the latest letter was intended simply as cover for President Ahmadi-nejad’s upcoming annual visit to the UN General Assembly in New York. “Now he can tell everyone that Iran is eager to meet and that the absence of a meeting isn’t Iran’s fault,” said one.
The latest letter was sent by Saeed Jalili, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, to Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief.
Ashton’s office had no immediate comment on the letter Tuesday. Reuters said it had obtained a copy of the letter, which was written in somewhat garbled English.
Reuters quoted from it to show it was a mass of generalities. Talks may resume “as soon as you are ready,” Jalili wrote. “The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that a just negotiation and talk is the only way to remove existing misunderstandings in all areas.” He spoke of the “necessity of achieving a comprehensive, long-term and negotiated solution for both sides,” adding that any “measures that would lead to the deprivation [of the rights of states], including the noble nation of Iran, is unacceptable.”
Since the letter was signed by Jalili, it confirmed that he is still in charge of the nuclear talks and that rumors that Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi would take over are false.