Iran General NewsIran cleric says big powers misusing U.N. council

Iran cleric says big powers misusing U.N. council

-

Reuters: World powers are making a mistake using the U.N. Security Council to pressure Iran over its nuclear program and negotiations are the only way out of the standoff, an influential Iranian cleric said on Friday. TEHRAN (Reuters) – World powers are making a mistake using the U.N. Security Council to pressure Iran over its nuclear program and negotiations are the only way out of the standoff, an influential Iranian cleric said on Friday.

The U.N. Security Council has imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran since December over Tehran’s failure to heed a U.N. demand to halt uranium enrichment. U.S. officials have warned of a third if Tehran continues to ignore the demand.

“What did you gain by the forceful imposition (of your will) on others using the Security Council and (imposing) sanctions, especially in an oil-rich region that can truly lead the world to problems?,” Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said in Friday prayers.

“You are making a mistake,” he said.

He did not make clear what kind of problems the world could face but some Iranian officials have threatened to curb the oil exports of OPEC’s No. 2 producer if pushed, a move that would send world crude prices sharply higher.

“The correct way is for our experts and your experts to negotiate correctly, freely and equally,” the former Iranian president said in a sermon broadcast live on state radio.

Major powers, particularly Western countries who fear Iran wants to build atomic bombs, have said Iran must first halt enrichment work for talks to start. A round of talks with the European Union last year ended without any deal.

The process of enriching uranium can be used to make fuel for atomic power plants, which Tehran insists is its sole goal, or, if enriched to a high-enough level, material for warheads.

“If they wanted the problem to be solved, they wouldn’t have set preconditions and this issue shows they don’t have good intentions,” said Rafsanjani, considered a pragmatist who backs better ties with the West.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet on May 31 for a new round of nuclear talks. They last met on April 25-26 in the Turkish capital Ankara to discuss Iran’s nuclear dossier.

Latest news

 Statistics show that New Year accidents’ deaths in Iran reached 585

Ahmad Shirani, the head of the Information and Traffic Control Center of the Iranian regime’s police, announced that the...

Land Subsidence in Critical Conditions in Isfahan

Mehdi Toghyani, a member of the Iranian regime’s Majlis (parliament), pointed to the occurrence of land subsidence in various...

Iran’s Actual Inflation Rate Higher Than Official Stats

The state-run Donya-e-eqtesad newspaper, in a report analyzing the "general sentiment" regarding inflation in 2023, has stated that households...

Iranian Workers’ Monthly $136 Wages Can’t Cover $500 Expenses

The lives of a significant portion of the Iranian population are marked by uncertainty, largely because the Iranian economy...

Iranian Nurses Earn Twice Their Wages in Ride-Hailing Services

Reza Aryanpour, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Health and Treatment Commission, highlighted the growing trend of nurses...

Iran: Unprecedented Record of 152 Million Liters of Gasoline Consumption Per Day

On March 19, Iran set a new historical record in gasoline consumption with 152 million liters consumed in one...

Must read

U.N. confirms 34 dead at Iranian camp in Iraq

Reuters: The United Nations on Thursday confirmed 34 people...

Bush, Merkel say Iran must drop nuclear program

Bloomberg: German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President George...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you