TEHRAN, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran is facing parties on its nuclear issue that have demonstrated a lack of respect for negotiation and diplomacy, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday.
Baghaei made the remarks at a weekly press conference in Tehran when responding to a question about the possibility of resuming nuclear talks with the United States amid Israel's continuous threats to attack Iran.
"Iran has proved its power in different areas very well, and diplomacy is one of our tools to protect our national interests," he said, adding that Tehran would employ diplomacy whenever necessary and when conditions are appropriate.
"However, we are faced with parties that have demonstrated that they do not value negotiation and diplomacy. Iran has kept its armed forces fully prepared to deal with any event and any adventurism," he said.
Baghaei said other parties were fully aware of Iran's capabilities and capacities, and had no ambiguity in that regard.
Iran and the United States had held five rounds of indirect Oman-mediated talks on Tehran's nuclear program earlier in the year, and were about to hold the sixth one when Israel launched major surprise airstrikes on several areas in Iran on June 13, including nuclear and military sites, killing senior commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians.
On June 22, U.S. forces bombed the three Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.
Following the attacks, Iran suspended its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under a parliamentary law in late June, citing the agency's failure to condemn Israeli and U.S. attacks, as well as concerns over the safety of its nuclear facilities and scientists.
The IAEA has since kept calling on Iran to let its inspectors return to the country and resume inspections of nuclear facilities, including the bombed ones, a request renewed recently by the agency's Director General Rafael Grossi in an interview with an Argentine newspaper.
In response, Baghaei said Grossi had repeatedly made the same remarks, which would not change the existing realities.
Iran remains a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has proved its commitment to the safeguards agreement with the IAEA, and is fully aware of its obligations, urging the agency's chief to adhere to his technical mandate, he said. ■
