TEHRAN - Italy and Spain are sending negative signs to U.S. hardliners by trying to enter nuclear talks with Iran, political analyst Jaafar Qamat said here Wednesday.

“The fact that the European countries have adopted softer stances than that of the United States also shows that if Tehran does not cooperate with the EU, its commercial trades with countries such as Italy will be seriously jeopardized,” Qamat told the Mehr News Agency.

“The cooperation between the U.S. and the EU is accompanied with competition. The EU is not willing to lose the Iranian market, therefore it has adopted a softer position,” he said.

He added the EU will report any agreement with Iran to the U.S. to get confirmation however, if the negotiations bear no fruit the U.S. position will be strengthened that may lead to an international consensus against Iran.

“Now, the time is not proper for the U.S. to directly take part in talks on nuclear or security issues,” he opined.

Qamat added U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s tour to the Middle East and her meetings with the Egyptian and Saudi Arabian officials show that Washington is attempting to build a new Arab consensus against Iran, he added.