US send aircrafts to Gulf before resumption over Tehran's nuke programme talks

Washington, April 10 (ANI): The United States has reportedly sent Iran a message of intent by despatching two aircraft carriers to the Gulf region.

The move came just days before the resumption of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme.

According to the Telegraph, in an apparent gesture of reconciliation, Iran has offered to resume talks with the international community over the future of its nuclear programme, which it continues to insist is purely for peaceful purposes.

President Barack Obama has described the negotiations as Iran's "last chance" to resolve nuclear impasse through diplomacy.

Despite strong Israeli misgivings and deep suspicions in the West, Iran's negotiating partners accepted the offer but have outlined a series of initial steps they expected Tehran to take to prove its sincerity.

These include a demand for the closure of Iran's best-protected nuclear facility at Fordow and an immediate halt to the refinement of uranium to a concentration of 20 percent.

Iran had reacted angrily to the demands on Monday and accused world powers of an act of bad faith by announcing conditions before the talks, which are to be held in Istanbul, had even begun.

Tehran's nuclear chief, Fereydoun Abbasi, said that Tehran was willing to contemplate halting the enrichment of uranium to 20 percent, but only once it had stockpiled nuclear fuel at that level.

However, the Western powers are likely to reject the offer. (ANI)