美国：如果伊朗认真，美愿意重启核谈判

The United States says it is open to resuming negotiations with Iran about its controversial nuclear program if Tehran is "serious" about discussing it openly. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Wednesday it is up to Iran to rejoin talks with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, a group known as the P5+1. The parties last met a year ago. An Iranian politician said Wednesday that U.S. President Barack Obama had sent a letter to Iran calling for direct talks. But the Obama administration did not confirm such contact. White House spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday that any communications that have or may have taken place are "the same in private as they have been in public," and that the path forward is through multi-party talks. He said increasing pressure on Iran from the United States and "many international allies" is a direct result of Tehran's refusal to engage in "serious discussions" about its nuclear program.
 
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Wednesday any new negotiations likely would be held in Istanbul. The U.S. State Department responded later that there have been no discussions about holding a new round of talks. Meanwhile, U.S. Joints Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey is visiting Israel Thursday for talks with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, including U.S. and Israeli concerns that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful.