Iran snubs nuclear talks offer from Washington

Iran's supreme leader has rejected a proposal for direct talks about its nuclear program with the United States, saying negotiations will not solve anything. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement posted on his website that the U.S. wants to talk while threatening to punish Iran, and that his country will not be intimidated. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said during a security conference on Saturday in Munich that the United States is open to directly engaging Iran if it is serious about negotiations. The supreme leader's message comes a day after U.S. sanctions targeting Iran's oil industry went into effect. The White House has pledged to continue to pressure Iran as long it seeks to develop a nuclear weapon and violate human rights.

Denis Halliday, a former UN Assistant Secretary General in New York, said the fact that the United States has called for dialog and yet brings in these sanctions was perplexing.

“It sends, in my view, a very confused signal to the people of Iran. It is completely unhelpful but you know the Americans have this very odd concept of, as they call it, carrot and stick approach, meaning they offer you something at the same time they hit you over the head with the stick and that is exactly what they are offering, I guess, right now,” he said.

Some Western nations, including the U.S., believe Iran is secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful.

Listen to the report by correspondent Nathan Morley: