TEHRAN, 3 February 2005 — Iran said yesterday it will never scrap its nuclear program and talks with Europeans were intended to protect Iran’s nuclear achievements, not abandon them.
The remarks by Ali Agha Mohammadi, spokesman of Iran’s powerful Supreme National Security Council, are the latest in a hardening of his country’s stance amid ongoing talks with European negotiators and indicate Tehran’s possible frustration at the lack of progress in the bilateral talks.
Europe is pressing Iran for concessions on its nuclear program, which the United States claims is aimed at producing atomic weapons. In exchange for nuclear guarantees, the Europeans are offering Iran technological and financial support and talks on a trade deal.
Mohammadi said Iran will keep pursuing its nuclear ambitions even if talks under way with Europeans fail.
“We have the power to negotiate because we keep our (nuclear) achievements in our hands and we are negotiating to protect them,” Mohammadi said yesterday. “It’s definite that we will protect our scientific achievements as a basic pillar whether talks make progress or not.”
On Tuesday, Iran’s Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh called on the Europeans to speed up talks with Tehran on its nuclear program, a trade agreement and regional security amid reports that negotiations are deadlocked.
Aghazadeh, who also serves as head of Iran’s atomic energy organization, made his remarks a week after a leaked summary of the Iran-European talks showed no progress in getting Iran to scrap its uranium enrichment activities.
Uranium enriched to low grades is used for fuel in nuclear reactors, but further enrichment makes it suitable for atomic bombs.
The United States and several other countries fear Iran seeks to enrich uranium not to the low level needed to generate power as it claims but to weapons-grade uranium that could become the core for nuclear warheads.
While not prohibited from enrichment under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Iran suspended uranium enrichment and all related activities in November to build trust, reduce international suspicions and avoid UN Security Council sanctions. The International Atomic Energy Agency agreed to police the suspension.
Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi also suggested the Iran-European talks are making no progress.
“Our condition is that suspension of uranium enrichment has to be limited and for a short period but the Europeans from the very beginning have been calling for a long-term suspension,” Kharrazi was quoted by the official Islamic Republic News Agency as saying.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel also warned Europe against dragging its feet over its talks with his government, telling state-run radio that “if the Europeans waste time in negotiations, Iran will react strongly.”
Adel also said parliament may force its government to advance Iran’s nuclear program if Europeans continue to waste time.
Lawmakers will soon discuss details of a bill, the outline of which was approved by parliament last year, that would require government to master its nuclear fuel cycle, Adel added.
Under an agreement reached with France, Germany and Britain, which negotiated on behalf of the European Union, Iran will continue suspension of its enrichment activities during negotiations with the Europeans about EU economic, political and technological aid.
Iran has said it will decide within three months whether to continue the suspension. Iran says it already possesses the technology to control the whole nuclear fuel cycle — from extracting uranium ore to enriching it.
Tehran has also said it is determined to become a nuclear fuel supplier and sell nuclear reactor fuel internationally once it produces enriched uranium, establishing the Islamic republic as a country in possession of technology the United States wants to keep from spreading.
Khatami’s Nominee Gets Majlis Nod
Iran’s parliament gave its approval yesterday to President Mohammad Khatami’s choice as the Islamic republic’s new transport minister, three months after sacking the previous one.
Mohammad Rahmati, who was Khatami’s second choice to take over the nation’s troublesome roads and transport portfolio, won 170 votes in the 290-seat Majlis, with 29 votes against and 19 abstentions.
Just three weeks ago, the parliament rejected Khatami’s first choice for the job, Ahmad Sadegh-Bonab.
Last week Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued an order to the Majlis not to impeach any more ministers in the embattled reformist government, pointing out that new elections are just months away in any case.
