AFP: Iran’s supreme guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Wednesday that Tehran could break off nuclear talks with the international community if “illogical demands” were made
such as long-term suspension of uranium enrichment. AFP
TEHRAN – Iran’s supreme guide Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Wednesday that Tehran could break off nuclear talks with the international community if “illogical demands” were made such as long-term suspension of uranium enrichment.
“I say to those negotiating with representatives of the Iranian people not to lead us to the conclusion, through unjust and illogical words, that they do not believe in negotiations based on logic, because in that case, the people and the Islamic regime will leave the negotiating table,” he said.
“Suspension of enrichment is an illogical demand,” said Khamenei, quoted on the state television Al-Alam.
“If, under whatever form, there is a threat during the negotiations, that will be a sign of a lack of logic on the part of those negotiating, and in that case the Iranian people and the Islamic republic will revise their stand on the very principle of negotiations and continued cooperation,” he said.
“When there is a logical demand such as inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, we have accepted. But when there is a threat, we have resisted and will resist.”
Iran and the European Union on Wednesday failed to agree on getting Tehran to suspend all uranium enrichment activities but will hold more talks on the matter, an Iranian official said after the meeting in Vienna.
Iran was responding at the closed-door meeting to an offer made last week by Britain, France and Germany, the EU’s three biggest countries.
The offer would allow Tehran to avoid potential UN sanctions over what the United States claims is a secret nuclear weapons program and receive nuclear technology by indefinitely suspending uranium enrichment.
