Preserving Nation’sNuclearRights 1st Priority, Leader’sSupport Guaranteed, Says Araqchi

Deputy foreign minister and nuclear negotiator Abbas Araqchi said here Friday Iranian team‘s 1st priority in talks with Sextet is preserving nation‘s nuclear rights, acceptance of which will pave the path for signing the comprehensive deal.

ˈThe other side has tested all its possible options, save for coming to terms in negotiations, knowing well that no other way leads to tangible results, which is the reason why they are serious in their will to achieve results in these negotiations,ˈ said Araqchi in an interview with the Parliament News Agency.

He said that briefly speaking, both the six world powers and Iran do have the required political will to achieve the final comprehensive nuclear agreement, while the Sextet has made sure that there remains no option for resolving this self-made lingering crisis, save for negotiations.

To a question on the Iranian nuclear negotiation team’s perspective about outcome of the ongoing talks within the next four months, he said, ˈWe have achieved good progress within the past six months and accordingly, we can remain hopeful about coming up with a comprehensive agreement in their continuation.ˈ

ˈWill that agreement, possibly be made within the next four months?ˈ asked the reporter.

ˈYes, even sooner than that maybe. Any time that the other side will confirm the Iranian nation’s nuclear rights that comprehensive agreement will be signed.ˈ

People’s will, Supreme Leader’s support

The deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs and top nuclear negotiator next to the foreign minister emphasized that it is a great blessing for the present Iranian negotiator delegation to have the strong will of the Iranian nation and the full support of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khameneˈie when they sit at the negotiation table.

ˈIt strengthens our hearts and is a great spiritual support for the Iranian delegation in those talks, based on which we are ready for continued presence and pursuance of the nuclear negotiations,ˈ he said.

The Parliament News Agency reporter asked Araqchi about the western media propagation on the pressure imposed by the Iranian Parliament on the country’s nuclear negotiation delegation.

ˈThat is typically what the western media propagations are expected to be, but the negotiation delegation has never been faced with such an approach on the part of the Islamic Parliament, whose representatives have always been strong supporters of them, strongly caring for the Iranian nation’s rights, just as we do,ˈ he added.

The deputy foreign minister confirmed the Iranian parliament membersˈ right to be concerned about preserving the nation’s rights and to be worried about the matter.

ˈSuch concerns need to be eased. The Parliament and the Government have interactions aimed at reaching a mutual understanding so that the Parliament’s support for the negotiation team will continue, as it has always existed in the past,ˈ he said.

That is while the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad JavadZarif, writing in French daily Le Monde, has said that some among the P5+1 were suffering from “illusions” about Iran‘s nuclear program.

He said that contrary to fears in the West, Iran – even if it wanted to – is “several years and not a few months” away from being able to build an atomic bomb.

Demands that Iran‘s program be “radically curbed” rest on a “gross misrepresentation of the steps, time and dangers of a dash for the bomb”, Zarif said.

“We are willing to provide assurances of the exclusively peaceful nature of our nuclear program. But we will not abandon or make a mockery of our technological advances or our scientists,” he said.

In a video message Zarif said the talks represented a “unique opportunity to make history”.

“We are trying to reach a deal,” he added. “Not a good deal or a bad deal, but a doable and lasting deal.”

Iranian nuclear negotiator MajidTakhteRavanchi, too, has told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) that Iran has set out clear “red lines”.

“The other side knows that these red lines cannot be crossed. If we reach a deal it will be one respecting these red lines. If not there will be no accord,” he said.

One such position is thought to be on the key central issue of enrichment, the process rendering uranium suitable for power generation.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius who traditionally played the bad police role in the negotiations had said two months ago that Iran has to slash the number of centrifuge enrichment machines to several hundred from the almost 20,000 at present.

“We will not accept definitive restrictions” on our nuclear program, Ravanchi said.

But Kelsey Davenport, Arms Control Association analyst, was upbeat at the time, saying there is “considerable political will” for a deal since it is in the interests of both sides.

“There is a lot of time left for diplomacy and a good comprehensive nuclear agreement is within reach, despite significant gaps between the two sides on core issues,” she told AFP.

IRNA

R.S