Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani has said that the tone of the written reply that EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has sent to the most recent letter of the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, was softer than that of the previous ones, MNA reported.
"Studying the content of Ashton's letter falls within the ambit of the Supreme National Security Council secretary, and he is now studying it," Ahani told IRNA on Tuesday.
"Mr. Jalili will send the necessary and timely reply to this letter," he said.
Asked if the next round of negotiations between Tehran and the 5+1 group (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China, and Germany) will be based on Russia's proposal for a "step-by-step" plan toward Iran's nuclear program, Ahani said, "As far as I am aware, nothing has been mentioned in the letter about Russia's initiative."
On July 13, Russia made a proposal for a step-by-step approach, according to which Iran could address questions about its nuclear program and be rewarded with a gradual easing of sanctions.