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Iran upholds nuclear reprocessing bid, dismisses EU threat

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Vienna, May 14, IRNA
Nuclear-Iran-Nasseri
A senior nuclear negotiator said here Saturday that Iran and the Europeans were close to an agreement over Tehran's pledge to resume uranium reprocessing, which has ruffled feathers in the EU.

Sirous Nasseri also dismissed that Iran had backed away from its bid to resume uranium reprocessing, saying the country had delayed the resumption only 'for several days'.

The official called on the Europeans to abandon threats and continue negotiations with Tehran to iron out the differences.

The remarks came after the EU warned Iran of 'consequences', with British Prime Minister Tony Blair citing possible report to the UN Security Council if Tehran resumes uranium reprocessing.

"The Europeans, and better than all Mr. Blair, well know that any threats on the part of Europe, leading to a confrontation with Iran, will be a big strategic blunder for Europe," he told IRNA reporter at the end of a three-day visit.

"Doubtless, if our path and that of the Europeans lead to a confrontation, the Europeans will be hurt the most, then the Americans, then the region and finally Iran.

"Our final advice to the Europeans is that they put aside the language of threat since this will benefit them in the first place," Nasseri added.

Tehran has announced that it would resume some of its uranium enrichment activities, mainly uranium reprocessing, which the country has voluntarily suspended as part of its confidence-building efforts since November.

The process, carried out at the Isfahan facility, converts raw yellowcake into tetrafluoride (UF4) and hexafluoride (UF6) as feedstock gas for uranium enrichment, which Iran wants to use as fuel for power generation.

The country however has stressed that the resumption would not include activities in Natanz, where uranium gas could be injected into centrifuges to conduct enrichment.

Nasseri said, "Iran's decision regarding resumption of Isfahan facility's activities is definite.

"The activities of this facility cannot remain suspended further since it has the least sensitivity in terms of the nuclear fuel cycle and therefore it must not be the cause of any concern and threat for the Europeans," he added.

The delay came after Iran accepted a European offer to hold further negotiations to reach a consensus, holding back its official declaration to the IAEA to resume the uranium reprocessing, Nasseri said.

"We were determined to announce this to the International Atomic Energy Agency in a letter, but since the European side asked to hold high-level meeting with Iran and we also found signs of a possible agreement, the official announcement to resume the activities was postponed for several days," Nasseri said.

The announcement was made by the vice president and the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholamreza Aqazadeh, who said the resumption 'is delayed for a while'.

Nasseri said diplomats from Iran and the Europeans, represented by France, Germany and Britain, were discussing 'details' about holding their next meeting reportedly in Tehran, adding 'the situation will be clarified in this regard in the coming days'.

The two sides have held a series of marathon talks, with the Europeans offering Iran a package of economic incentives in order to persuade Tehran to abandon uranium enrichment.

Uranium enrichment is allowed under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which Iran is a signatory, and the country wants it as part of its efforts to master a nuclear fuel cycle.

Nasseri said talks held so far have brought the two sides closer to 'a solution acceptable to both sides', but reiterated Iran's impatience with the slack pace of progress.

"Our differences with the Europeans, more than being over a solution acceptable to both sides, are on the timetable. We believe the time has come to make a decision, while the Europeans insist negotiations become longer and this is the bone of contention," he said.

Nasseri stressed that prolonging negotiations will neither benefit Iran nor the Europeans.

"The negotiations have neared the point of a logical solution, but if we don't conclude them with a decision, it is not clear whether the core of the agreement could be protected in the face of outside interference," he said.

Tehran is worried about mounting American pressure on the Europeans, having already announced that Washington was trying to scuttle the negotiations.

The United States disputes that Iran could be using its nuclear program as a front to build atom bomb, charges the Islamic Republic strongly denies, saying the program is aimed at power generation.

Nasseri described the United States as the main obstacle to the resolution of the case which Washington wants to be referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

"We believe a consensus is possible between Iran and the European Union. The main problem and obstacle is certain sections of the American rulership which are following extremist policies and do not want such an agreement be achieved," he said.

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::IRNA No.067 14/05/2005 23:52 --End