Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's foreign minister says his country will not enter nuclear talks with its arch-enemy Israel.
A Friday report by official IRNA news agency quotes Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying "We will not attend a meeting in which the occupying regime participates." Iran refers to Israel as an occupying regime because it controls territories claimed by Palestinians.
The report said Zarif's remarks were in response to possible Israeli participation in talks between Iran and world powers over Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
Last weekend Iran agreed to freeze parts of its nuclear program in return for the easing of Western sanctions.
Israel and the West suspect Iran's nuclear program has military dimension, a charge Iran denies.
Iran does not recognize Israel and supports militant anti- Israeli groups like Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah.
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
