U.S. talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk on direct talks: Iran

TEHRAN,Dec.19(MNA) – Iranian Foreign Minister Aki Akbar Salehi said that the United States’ proposal to hold direct talks with Iran does not match its actions. Iranian media outlets on Tuesday quoted Salehi as making the remarks in reference to the fact that the U.S. has recently indicated that it is willing to hold direct bilateral talks with Iran. On November 30, Reuters quoted U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as saying that the United States was open to bilateral talks about Iran’s nuclear program if Tehran was “ever ready”. “We are… making our willingness known that we are ready to have a bilateral discussion if they are ever ready to engage,” Clinton said. Salehi said, “U.S. officials’ remarks cannot be trusted, but we believe that a judgment should be made about the U.S. policy based on the U.S. government’s actual behavior. Even if they are honest in their recent claim, which is extremely doubtful, their proposal does not match their behavior.” Salehi had previously said that the decision about direct political negotiations between Iran and the United States rests with the Supreme Leader.