Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    TEHRAN, May 24 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said on Wednesday that Tehran had repeatedly announced readiness to hold talks with the United States unconditionally over Iran's nuclear program, the official IRNA news agency reported.

    "As the Russians announced, negotiations (over the nuclear issue) should take place without any preconditions," Asefi was quoted by IRNA as saying at the Majlis (Parliament).

    "From the very beginning, we has announced that the issue should be settled only through negotiations," he stressed.

    Asefi also criticized the U.S. position on Iran's nuclear dispute, saying "Washington is trying to make all countries reach an agreement on Iran's nuclear activities through force and illogical interpretations."

    On a new proposal by the European Union aimed to settle the standoff over Iran's nuclear issue, Asefi did not give any comment, only saying that the proposal was to be set forth during Wednesday's meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany and that it would be announced to Iran after the meeting.

    In an effort to persuade Iran to halt its fuel cycle work, the European trio of Britain, France and Germany are planning to offer Tehran a package of incentives in the trade, technology and security fields and penalties if Iran continues defiance.

    But Washington has ruled out providing security guarantees to Iran as part of the EU package, saying that security assurances are not on the table.

    The European proposals are to be discussed at a meeting in London on Wednesday by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- along with Germany. Enditem