 Iran said on Tuesday it was ready to start immediately what it called "serious" talks with six world powers about their offer to defuse Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West.
| The previous seven years or so have been marked by "frivolous" talks, but now they're ready to get "serious," but they're not actually going to do anything the six powers call for. |
Chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani delivered Iran's formal response to the offer at a meeting with foreign envoys from the six world powers in Tehran. No details of the response were immediately available. Iran has given no sign of heeding a key United Nations Security Council demand that it freeze uranium enrichment, and Western diplomats said they were expecting an "ambiguous" response.
| "Ambiguous" is diplotalk for a "no" answer that's not accompanied by a "go to hell." |
"Although there is no justification for the other parties' illegal move to refer Iran's case to the Security Council... the answer was prepared ... to pave the way for fair talks," Larijani said. "Iran is prepared to hold serious talks from August 23," he was quoted by Iran's student news agency ISNA as saying.
| "We are prepared to hold 'serious' talks from August 23rd until approximately the time of the Last Trumpet, give or take six weeks either way, or we manage to nuke New York and Washington, whichever comes first." |
He said Iran was ready to play a "constructive" role regarding all issues in the package.
| "We will gladly assist the six powers in constructing a house of cards so they can avoid doing anything while we go about our business of regional and eventual world domination." |
"The representatives of the six world powers should return to talks to reach an understanding about all the issues mentioned in the offer, including nuclear issues, long-term technical and economic cooperations as well as security cooperation in the region," Larijani said. One European diplomat said: "The answer was handed over. It is a comprehensive answer. The Iranian side said they would welcome a continuation of negotiations."
| But they're not going to do anything called for. But the Euros will "welcome" the talks. |
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