Middle-East Crisis: US 'ready for serious negotiations' with Tehran

In a letter to the UN, the US straightforwardly justified the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani as an act of self-defense.

Iran has retaliated by firing missiles at airbases housing US forces in Iraq causing no casualties. Likewise, Tehran also told the UN it was an act of self-defense.

The US drone strike on Soleimani also killed associates of Iran-backed Iraqi paramilitaries, who also vowed revenge.

However, US Vice-President Mike Pence told CBS News that "intelligence" suggested that Tehran had asked its allied militias not to hit US targets.

In Washington, the US House of Representatives has organized a vote for Thursday on limiting President Donald Trump's capability to wage war against Iran, without explicit approval from Congress.

In a letter to the UN Security Council, US Ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft said the US was ready to negotiate "with the goal of preventing further endangerment of international peace and security or escalation by the Iranian regime.”

The letter argued that the killing of Gen. Soleimani was justified under Article 51 of the UN Charter, which requires states to "immediately report" to the Security Council any measures taken in implementing the right of self-defense.

The US would take further action "if necessary" in the Middle East to safeguard its personnel and interests, the letter reads.

Although Iran's UN Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi said the US offer of talks was "unbelievable" while the US prolonged harsh economic sanctions on Iran.

Mr. Trump has previously offered to hold talks with Iran without prerequisites and offered to meet President Hassan Rouhani. In September, Ayatollah Khamenei said Iran would never engage in consensual talks, saying it was part of America's policy "to put pressure on Iran.”

The Supreme Leader said that if the US rejoined a landmark nuclear deal it withdrew from in 2018, it could take part in multilateral talks with Iran.

The US House of Representatives is projected to vote on Thursday on a declaration to force Mr. Trump to halt further military action against Iran unless “Congress gives it the all-clear.”

"Members of Congress have serious, urgent concerns about the administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about its lack of strategy moving forward," Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, said in a statement.

By B.Alexishvili