• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Prospect for acceptable outcome to nuclear dispute - Iran envoy

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Feb 22, IRNA
UK Envoy-Iran Nuclear
Despite the continuing demonisation of Iran by US neocons, there is still a distinct possibility to find an agreed solution to the dispute over the country's nuclear program, Iranian Ambassador to the UK Rasoul Movahedian stated.

"If the present mindset can be replaced by a mentality of constructive interaction, a mutually acceptable outcome remains a real prospect," Movahedian said.

"Real impetus would come from a recognition of the rights and the role of Iran in the region and the world," he said in an article published by the Guardian.

The envoy said Iran genuinely hoped a 'new phase of unconditional and sincere negotiations will resume in that direction'.

In his article, he also said that the latest salvo of rhetoric against Iran 'betrays a grand design to demonise the country and trigger a new adventurism in the highly sensitive Persian Gulf region'.

"Again and again the 'Iranian threat' is invoked as part of a neocon agenda to deepen US military involvement in the area. But its goal -- to downgrade Iran's role in the region -- is both implausible and ill-founded," Movahedian said.

By contrast, he referred to Iran demonstrating throughout its history a 'belief in constructive engagement in international relations, at the same time as holding firm to its right to retain its important regional role'.

"Our civilizing contribution to the history of the region and the world is beyond doubt -- and we are the region's largest democracy, so of course we hold influence. But that influence has never had any imperial aspiration," the ambassador said.

Iran's national security doctrine, he spelt out, is 'defensive and does not consider military might to be an instrument of foreign policy'.

Movahedian said that as a signatory to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran 'retains the right to benefit from a civil nuclear program'.

"We demonstrated our sincerity to the world by sitting at the negotiating table for more than two years and suspending all our peaceful nuclear activities to show our goodwill; the result was nothing tangible," he said.

The case against Iran, the envoy said, was further politicized last year 'on spurious legal and technical grounds', when the issue was taken from the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, where it belongs, to the UN Security Council.

But he warned that 'political mischief' should not be played out through the Security Council, and that 'neither bellicose talk nor military adventurism will bring a halt to Iran's peaceful nuclear enrichment program'.

"We believe in a solution through negotiation and dialogue, a dialogue that addresses concerns on both sides," he said, adding that 'short-termism must not overshadow the pursuit of long-term cooperation'.

2220/345/2322/1414