Outcome of talks depends on West understanding Iran

The top Iranian nuclear negotiator says the outcome of the next round of talks between Tehran and the world powers hinges on Western appreciation for Iran’s national, regional, and international capacities. In a meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Tehran on Monday, Saeed Jalili said the failure of the West’s dual-track policy of pressure-dialogue regarding the Islamic Republic stems from its strategic mistake is assessing the developments in Iran and regional countries. “They (world powers) should have a correct understanding of the cohesive will of the Iranian nation for the consolidation and promotion of its capacities,” Jalili, who is also the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), added. On Saturday, April 14, Iran and P5+1 - the US, France, Britain, China, and Russia plus Germany - held the first round of their new talks after a 15-month hiatus in the Turkish city of Istanbul. Following negotiations, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton told reporters that negotiations were “constructive and useful.” "We have agreed that the Non-Proliferation Treaty forms a key basis for what must be serious engagement to ensure all the obligations under the treaty are met by Iran while fully respecting Iran's right for the peaceful use of nuclear energy," she added. Tehran and the P5+1 had already held two rounds of negotiations, one in Geneva in December 2010 and another in Istanbul in January 2011. The next round of new multifaceted talks between Iran and the P5+1 is scheduled to be held in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad, on May 23.