Fair nuclear talks will win breakthrough: Iran envoy

VIENNA (Reuters) - An Iranian envoy on Wednesday held out the prospect of a breakthrough in any talks about Tehran's nuclear work and other security issues if governments negotiate on an "equal footing" and without preconditions.

Underscoring a U.S. turnabout from a policy of isolating Iran, Washington and five other big powers said on Tuesday they wanted direct talks with Iran to ease a deadlock over its refusal to halt nuclear work and open up to U.N. inspectors.

"(It) is Iran that is inviting others to come without preconditions," Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, Iranian ambassador to the International Atomic Agency, told reporters outside a meeting of the U.N. nuclear monitor's 35-nation board of governors.

"We do not consider anybody, any of the parties as a super power... If this mentality is changed and they understand that they are on equal footing and come in a civilized manner... then there will be a breakthrough," Soltanieh said.

"We are ready for negotiations without any preconditions, talking about comprehensive issues, about all global issues, regional issues, regional security, economic cooperation."

But he warned that Western nations behind sanctions on Iran would have to respect its "inalienable right" to a peaceful nuclear program if negotiations were to be fruitful.

Iran says it is refining uranium only for a civilian nuclear program to generate electricity. But its record of nuclear secrecy and limits on IAEA non-proliferation inspections have stirred Western suspicions of an illicit quest for atom bombs.

STALEMATE

Tehran has reacted cautiously to U.S. indications of diplomatic outreach after decades of ostracizing Iran, saying it is open to fair talks while demanding fundamental changes in U.S. policy, namely U.S.-driven sanctions and accusations Iran actively seeks nuclear weapons and supports terrorism.

Soltanieh said Tuesday's statement from the six powers was their way of "correcting the mistake" in getting IAEA governors in 2006 to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council for sanctions rather than leaving inspectors to sort out the dispute.

But he also chided the IAEA, saying it had been forced by Western powers to put out incomplete reports on Iran's nuclear program which did not reflect Iran's point of view.

"I harshly criticized that there is a deviation from the (IAEA's) expected statutory mandate," Soltenieh said.

"The agency is established for the promotion of international cooperation, for peaceful uses of nuclear energy but unfortunately safeguards (inspection) activities have overshadowed this," he said.

The IAEA's top legal counsel said on Wednesday Iran has strayed from non-proliferation obligations by ceasing to provide advance data on nuclear plans and allow inspector visits to a nascent heavy water reactor.

Briefing the IAEA's board of governors, Johan Rautenbach said this however did not mean Iran was in a more serious "non-compliance" with rules, a finding that could warrant further action by the U.N. Security Council.

On Monday, IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei said Iran has been stonewalling agency inspectors and called on Tehran to unblock the "stalemate" and work to dispel fears of possible military dimensions to its nuclear program.

Soltanieh said the only stalemate was political, caused by Western pressure on the IAEA to single out Iran.