Iran 'prepared to opt out of NPT, if necessary,' says professor
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Durham, England, March 23, IRNA
Iran Hadian-Nuclear Policy
Iran is prepared for a possible showdown at the UN and even withdraw from the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if it proves necessary to continue its right to develop a nuclear fuel cycle, according to an Iranian specialist.
Professor of Law and Political Science at Tehran University Nassar Hadian said that he "cannot rule out the possibility of a showdown, if no tangible offers are put on the table by the EU." "Iran has already put on the table whatever it considers to be objective assurances. Unless the EU puts something on the table too I doubt if Iran will continue the negotiations longer than three- and-a-half months from now," he told IRNA.
Hadian said that although the possibility is there, he hoped and believed that the so-called EU3 of Britain, France and Germany, which restarted a new round of negotiations in Iran in Paris Wednesday, was going to offer something else
"They (the EU) need more time to negotiate with the US to come up with the sort of offers which they believe Iran may be convinced," he said. He suggested there would be "another round of intense negotiations and intense diplomatic efforts" after the Paris talks.
The professor acknowledged that the EU were seeking a permanent suspension of Iran's fuel cycle, but said "they are realists, they know that if they don't offer anything Iran is going to withdraw and begin enrichment."
In an exclusive interview with IRNA on the sidelines of a conference on Iran's foreign policy at Durham University in northern England, he suggested that in such a scenario, the EU, at the most, were going to support referring Iran to security council.
"But that would be equal to a more intense effort, if UN imposes sanctions, by Iran to complete fuel cycle as quickly as possible and as extensively as possible," Hadian said.
"If the sanctions are severe, Iran would consider that as tantamount to war and thus they may withdraw from NPT altogether, expel all the inspectors from Iran and cut off all the monitoring," he warned.
The professor suggested that the result could even be that the small minority group in Iran, who are supporters of the country becoming a nuclear weapons power, "may gain the upper hand." "To me, a military attack or severe sanctions would have the same impact of like September 11, which brought the neo-Conservatives into power in the US," he said.
Hadian, who received his doctorate in Political Science from the University of Tennessee in the US, equated this with bringing "a brand new Conservative bomb, for those who support Iran becoming a nuclear power."
Instead, he believed the EU3 would intensify their diplomatic attempts and efforts to come up with a solution which would satisfy both Iran and the US.
"The Europeans, after all, know if the case is referred to the Security Council that first their role is going to be substantially reduced and second what is going to come out of taking Iran to the UN," the Iranian professor said.
He said that Iran was prepared for any sanctions and were even ready to tolerate being isolated in the international community if necessary because of its legitimate right to enrich uranium.
"They have already made that decision. They consider this the right of Iran and have the support of the population. They are going to proceed no matter what the cost," Hadian warned.
He believed that EU were familiar to a large extent about Iran's determination and its case and wanted to prevent such a scenario, which they knew was "not to the advantage to anyone that Iran goes down that road."
"Iran is ready for the worst scenario. They will hope for the best, they will do their best, but they are prepared for it," the professor emphasized.
He doubted if any compromise could involve Iran extending its suspension of developing a fuel cycle for longer than a short period and certainly not for two or three years.
"Iran has put on the table several options that they believe should give enough objective assurances to the international community," Hadian told IRNA.
He said Iran's perception is that EU would agree with them but believed that "somehow it is US pressure on the Europeans and the European are somewhat concerned about the US pressure."
"That's the reason why they are not buying any of those options and the only option which they are insisting upon permanent suspension or cessation or enrichment activity which would be unacceptable to Iran," the professor said.
He also suggested that the EU may agree to handing back the role of putting the IAEA into its rightful driving seat, but said such a decision was up to all the parties and that it was the US who is "not going to be satisfied."
HC/1771
::IRNA No.027 23/03/2005 19:34 --End
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