EU hits back at Iran’s nuke stance

Iran Focus: London, Dec. 08 – Britain took the lead on Wednesday as rotating President of the European Union to fire back at comments by Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who recently suggested that Tehran would soon resume suspended nuclear centrifuge activities. Iran Focus

London, Dec. 08 – Britain took the lead on Wednesday as rotating President of the European Union to fire back at comments by Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani, who recently suggested that Tehran would soon resume suspended nuclear centrifuge activities.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that the United Kingdom regretted Larijani’s comments. “Such activity, including research on centrifuges, would be contrary to the repeated requests of the [International Atomic Energy Agency’s”> Board of Governors under successive IAEA resolutions. Each step in this direction makes sense only as part of the enrichment process”.

Europe and the United States believe that Tehran’s nuclear program, which remained hidden for 18 years until it was revealed by an Iranian opposition movement, is for developing atomic weapons. The IAEA has repeatedly asked Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

“The Board of Governors has repeatedly made clear that this raises real and urgent proliferation-related concerns given Iran’s history of concealment and involvement with clandestine proliferation networks”, the Foreign Office statement said.

“The European side made clear in Vienna that any resumption of enrichment or enrichment related activity would seriously aggravate the situation created by the resumption of Uranium conversion activity at Isfahan in August, which the IAEA Board had previously made clear was a matter of serious concern”.

It went on to say that the EU had shown “considerable flexibility” during negotiations with the Islamic Republic to diffuse the international crisis.

“Comments and conditions such as those made by Dr Larijani seem to be aimed at prejudging these discussions and preventing the possibility of finding a basis for negotiations”.

Britain said that any possible future talks with Iran would focus on the “fissile material production program in Iran”.