DUBAI – Iran's foreign minister said Monday a way must be found to end the protracted deadlock between Iran and six world powers over Tehran's nuclear program. “The two sides have reached a conclusion that they must exit the current stalemate,” Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying by the Iranian Students' News Agency. Big powers suspect Iran is trying to develop the means to build atomic bombs under the cover of a declared civilian nuclear energy program. Iran and the six powers – the United States, Russia, France, China, Britain and Germany – have expressed readiness to revive efforts to find a negotiated solution to the decade-old dispute to head off the risk of a shattering new war in the Middle East. Salehi said he did not know when the next round of talks would be held, according to ISNA. The six powers said last week that they hoped soon to agree with Iran to hold a new round of nuclear negotiations. US ally Israel – believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal – has threatened to bomb the nuclear sites of its arch-enemy Iran if diplomacy and economic sanctions intended to get Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment prove futile. Analysts and diplomats believe there is a window of opportunity for a new diplomatic initiative with Iran after last month's re-election of US President Barack Obama. The six powers want Iran to scale back its uranium enrichment program and cooperate fully with UN nuclear inspectors. Iran wants the West to lift punitive sanctions wreaking serious damage to its economy. – Reuters
