Reuters: Iran warned the European Union on Saturday it would never surrender its right to nuclear fuel, talking tough only two weeks before EU diplomats are due to present final proposals to break Iran’s atomic impasse. Reuters
TEHRAN – Iran warned the European Union on Saturday it would never surrender its right to nuclear fuel, talking tough only two weeks before EU diplomats are due to present final proposals to break Iran’s atomic impasse.
Tehran says it has every right to enrich the uranium it mines in its central deserts into fuel for nuclear power stations but Washington argues this fuel is destined for atomic warheads.
Diplomats from an EU troika of Britain, France and Germany have been seeking a compromise, asking that Iran surrender its fuel-making programme in return for economic incentives.
They have until late July or early August to present Iran with a final set of proposals to resolve the deadlock.
But Ali Aghamohammadi, spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, reiterated there could be no backtracking on the right to atomic fuel.
“Even if they give us the whole world’s economic, political and security incentives to give up the nuclear fuel cycle, we will not do so,” he told the ISNA students new agency in an interview.
Iran has said it can resolve the deadlock by giving firm guarantees that its enriched uranium will not be diverted into weapons but European diplomats have said they have not been impressed by such pledges.
