TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Iran wants to be able to exercise its rights as a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived Monday in the United States to attend the 68th session of the U.N. General Assembly. Rouhani said before his visit the Iranian government was willing to discuss its nuclear program, adding it was designed for peaceful purposes.
Iran is suspected by its Western adversaries of pursuing the technology needed to manufacture a nuclear weapon.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham said Iran was eager to maintain its right to peaceful nuclear research.
"We merely seek to exercise our rights based on the Non-Proliferation Treaty. We want joint cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency," she was quoted by state-funded broadcaster Press TV as saying Tuesday.
Iran, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany, held two rounds of nuclear negotiations in Kazakhstan this year. Talks were described as amicable but unsuccessful.
The IAEA said in a report this month there may be a military dimension to certain aspects of Iran's nuclear program.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Monday political will was needed to resolve the nuclear issue because of the "the deep mistrust between the [negotiating] sides."
