Iran rules out direct nuclear talks with US

Iran ruled out on Monday holding direct talks with the United States on its nuclear programme.
"There is no justification for accepting suggestions to hold negotiations with a country which adopts a bullying attitude towards others," Hassan Rohani, secretary-general of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told state television.
Washington accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran says its ambitions are limited to generating electricity from nuclear reactors.
Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency, had told US policymakers in March that Iran might be open to a deal and suggested direct US contacts with Tehran, US officials said. Washington broke ties with Tehran following its Islamic revolution in 1979.
Rohani also played down negotiations with Germany, France and Britain and said Iran held talks with them in the past year because the big three European powers initiated the dialogue.
"The other party to the negotiations for us is the International Atomic Energy Agency and we have nothing to do with any other country," he said.
"If we are talking with the Europeans countries, it is because we have normal relations with them and they took the initiative to do so."
The IAEA board passed a resolution in June that rebuked Tehran for not fully co-operating with IAEA inspectors.
In retaliation, Iran said it was resuming production and testing of centrifuges, which can be used to enrich uranium, ending an agreement with the European states that it would suspend such activities.