Iran's Khamenei says could accept fair nuclear compromise

Iran denies that Khamenei replied to Obama letter on Islamic State Mon, Feb 16 10:43 AM EST image ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran has denied a Wall Street Journal report that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei recently responded to a letter sent in October by U.S. President Barack Obama suggesting cooperation with Iran in fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. "There has been no new letter from Iran's side," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham said, according to a report carried late on Sunday by the official IRNA news agency. "The claim made by the Wall Street Journal is an unprofessional media game." The Journal cited an unnamed Iranian diplomat as saying Khamenei's letter had been "respectful" but noncommittal. Although enemies for decades, the United States and Iran share a strategic interest in pushing back an Islamic State advance that has threatened the survival of the Iraqi state. In Syria, Shi'ite Muslim Iran is the main ally of President Bashar al-Assad, while Washington says he has lost legitimacy - but neither wants to see a triumph by Islamic State's radical Sunni militia, which has come to dominate the anti-Assad rebellion. Iranian officials in November acknowledged that Tehran had replied to previous letters from Obama, though it was not clear who specifically had responded. Iran is also in talks with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany, with the aim of allaying concerns that Tehran could pursue a covert nuclear weapons program in return for the lifting of international sanctions. Iran denies having any nuclear weapons ambitions. (Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Kevin Liffey) =================== Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei sent Obama secret letter: WSJ Fri, Feb 13 21:17 PM EST image WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has responded to overtures from U.S. President Barack Obama amid nuclear talks by sending him a secret letter, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Citing an Iranian diplomat, the paper said the Iranian cleric had written to Obama in recent weeks in response to a presidential letter sent in October. Obama's letter suggested the possibility of U.S.-Iranian cooperation in fighting Islamic State if a nuclear deal was secured, the paper said, quoting the diplomat. Khamenei's letter was "respectful" but noncommittal, it quoted the diplomat as saying. Both the White House and the Iranian mission at the United Nations declined to comment on the report. Khamenei said this week he could accept a compromise in the nuclear talks and gave his strongest defense yet of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's decision to negotiate with the West, a policy opposed by powerful hardliners at home. The nuclear talks with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany are aimed at clinching an accord that would ease Western concerns that Tehran could pursue a covert nuclear weapons program, in return for the lifting of sanctions that have ravaged the Iranian economy. Negotiators have set a June 30 final deadline for an accord, and Western officials have said they aim to agree on the substance of such a deal by March. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is due to address the U.S. Congress on Iran on March 3 - to the annoyance of the Obama administration - has vowed "to foil this bad and dangerous agreement." (Reporting by Sandra Maler; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in San Francisco and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Mohammad Zargham) ============================ Iran's Khamenei says could accept fair nuclear compromise Sun, Feb 08 16:01 PM EST image By Mehrdad Balali and Shadia Nasralla DUBAI/MUNICH (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader said on Sunday he could accept a compromise in nuclear talks and gave his strongest defense yet of President Hassan Rouhani's decision to negotiate with the West, a policy opposed by powerful hardliners at home. As his foreign minister met counterparties in the talks at a conference in Munich, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said he "firmly" backed a fair nuclear deal. "I would go along with any agreement that could be made. Of course, if it is not a bad deal. No agreement is better than an agreement which runs contrary to our nation's interests," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told Iranian air force personnel, according to official news agencies. In a speech that still underlined his suspicions about Western nations that he characterized as "bullies", Khamenei backed Rouhani's negotiations with them and said any workable deal would mean both sides easing their demands. "As the president said, negotiations mean reaching a common point. Therefore, the other party ... should not expect its illogical expectations to be materialized. This means that one side would not end up getting all it wants." "I am for reaching a good settlement and the Iranian nation too will certainly not oppose any deal to uphold its dignity and integrity," Khamenei said, an apparent warning to hardliners that they might have to accept a deal with powers including the United States, commonly known in Iran as "the Great Satan". Negotiators have set a June 30 final deadline for an accord, and Western officials have said they aim to agree on the substance of such a deal by March. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will address the U.S. Congress on Iran on March 3 -- to the annoyance of the Obama administration -- said: "We will do everything and will take any action to foil this bad and dangerous agreement." "World powers and Iran are charging ahead to an agreement that would allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weaponry, something that would imperil the existence of the State of Israel," Netanyahu told his weekly cabinet meeting. "IRANIANS KNOW" The nuclear talks with the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and France are aimed at clinching an accord that would ease Western concerns that Tehran could pursue a convert nuclear weapons program, in return for the lifting of sanctions that have ravaged the Iranian economy. Major sticking points are the pace at which sanctions would be removed, the size of Iran's nuclear fuel-producing capacity -- a key consideration in preventing any output of bomb material -- and the length of any agreement. "Our (nuclear) negotiators are trying to take the weapon of sanctions away from the enemy. If they can, so much the better. If they fail, everyone should know there are many ways at our disposal to dull this weapon," Khamenei said. Any deal "must be concluded in one stage and consist of clear and detailed specifications, and not subject to (various) interpretations," he said. "Given our past experience in dealing with the (West), a final draft must not leave any room for the other side to repeatedly extract concessions." Separately, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denied on Sunday a Reuters report quoting unidentified senior Iranian officials saying he had told the United States during the talks that Rouhani's political clout would be heavily damaged if negotiations failed. "I believe the entire Iranian population understands that this government, that Dr Rouhani, his administration and the government in its entirety supported our efforts in the negotiations," Zarif told a security conference in Munich where he met counterparties in the negotiations, in what he called a "very serious discussion". "Everybody has taken every necessary measure to make sure we succeed. All Iranians know this. If we fail, and I hope we won't, they (Iranians) will not consider us responsible for that failure. They will consider attempts (to ask) too much from Iran as a reason for failure." Zarif said it was in everyone's interest to seal an agreement by the June 30 deadline, but added: "I don't think if we don't have an agreement it will be the end of the world." U.S. Senator John McCain, a hawkish Republican, warned in Munich that while Iran was negotiating now, its underlying goal was "to drive Western influence out of the Middle East". (Additional reporting by Stephen Brown and Noah Barkin in Munich, Dan Williams in Jerusalem and Parisa Hafezi in Ankara; Writing by Stephen Brown; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Robin Pomeroy)