US: No direct talks with Iran

2006-11-13 18:59

Washington - The White House on Monday rebuffed mounting calls to hold direct talks with Iran, standing by its view that Tehran must first suspend sensitive nuclear activities.

"At this point, our position in terms of direct talks with the Iranians is clear," spokesperson Tony Snow said after a report that British Prime Minister Tony Blair had pushed US President George W Bush to engage Iran and Syria.

Washington and Tehran have contacts through "multilateral forums" and "other parties", Snow told reporters after The Observer newspaper said Blair had urged Bush to reach out to Damascus and Tehran to reduce tensions over Iraq.

"It is not as if there is no communication," said Snow, who reaffirmed Washington's position that "it would really work to the Iranians' advantage to renounce nuclear development - in other words to cease nuclear reprocessing and development".

As for Syria, Snow said: "We have diplomatic relations with Syria, we continue to have diplomatic relations with Syria."

- AFP