'US desire for nuclear diplomacy is a deception'

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Thursday branded the US saying it wanted a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear programme as a "deception".

"America's claim of a desire for diplomacy is nothing but deception and blatant contradiction; one cannot simultaneously bomb a country while engaging in diplomatic negotiations and speak of diplomacy," ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.

One Iranian insider has told Reuters that "several messages have been conveyed to Washington for resumption of talks via mediators in the past weeks, but Americans have not responded".

During a meeting with anti-war activists in New York on Wednesday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said: "In which language do we have to say that we are ready to respect frameworks if you do too? What type of negotiations is it if they ask us to respect our commitments while they trample on their own?" In an earlier meeting, he said the return of international sanctions would be "unpleasant, but not the end of the road".