Iran: Larijani Sees Ulterior Motives Behind West Nuclear Hype

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=112902§ionid=351020104

Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker explains why the UN nuclear watchdog is making a scene over Tehran's nuclear work despite knowing that there is nothing to worry about.

"The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is well aware that the Tehran power plant is simply a research facility with a nominal capacity of 5 megawatts," Ali Larijani told a group of reporters on Friday night.

"It also knows that the research facility is meant to produce radioactive isotopes for medical purposes and does not need a large amount of fuel to stay on-stream," added Larijani, who previously served as Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.

"This begs the question: Why does the IAEA continue to make such a fuss over Iran's enrichment activities despite knowing its peaceful purposes?" the Majlis Speaker asked.

"The answer is quite simple really; all they want and seek to do is to deceive Iran and force it to readily accept whatever offer they put forward."

Larijani added that examples of Western chicanery are not few in the history of Iran's nuclear relations with the West, one of which, was Washington's backtracking on a contract to provide the Tehran reactor with fuel plates.

"Prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the United States was paid a handsome amount to provide fuel plates for the research reactor in Tehran. But not only did it revoke the contract later on, but it has also refused to give us back our money," he said.

"After US broke its promises and showed its ill intentions towards the Islamic Republic, Iran asked the IAEA to introduce countries from which it could buy the 20 percent enriched fuel needed for the reactor," he recounted.

Larijani said that although the agency could have easily introduced tens of countries to Iran, it only introduced two; hence Iranian officials were forced to buy the required material from Argentina as the country was running short on fuel.

"When the countries demanded Iran to swap its LEU with the fuel it needs, we understood that they have every intention of deceiving us," he said.

Larijani said the sheer dishonesty of these countries towards Iran was like a "big kick" to the rules and regulations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which oblige member states to provide fellow associates with the fuel they require.

"What use is there to be a part of the NPT when it cannot even defend the rights of its members? Those who seek peaceful nuclear technology should continue to do so without any attention to the treaty because it does nothing but complicate matters even more," he said.

With regards to the recently-passed IAEA resolution against Iran, Larijani said the Western media has hyped and publicized the importance of the resolution while in fact it is "insignificant and of no consequence."

"We believe the resolution was passed out of spite and in line with the West's longstanding carrot and stick policy," said the influential politician.

"What they demand of Iran has no legal or logical explanation. We have always adhered to international regulations and are still open for further negotiations on fuel supply," he said.

In order to keep the heat on Iran and force the country to accept a Western-backed offer on nuclear fuel supply, world powers drafted a German-sponsored resolution at the UN nuclear watchdog, demanding that Iran stop construction of its Fordo nuclear facility outside Tehran.

Floated by the Obama administration, the aforesaid fuel draft deal requires Iran to send abroad most of its LEU to be further processed and then returned to the country for use in the Tehran research reactor.

Iranian officials rejected the UN proposal, saying there are no guarantees that the country would in fact receive the fuel it requires, but later agreed to consider the offer if the nuclear swap takes place within the country's borders.

In an exclusive interview with Press TV on Friday, Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi said there was "no logic" behind the IAEA resolution as Iran has neither introduced "any nuclear material" nor "any centrifuge equipment" to the Fordo enrichment plant.

"It is only the basic infrastructure that has been constructed there," he said. "The IAEA resolution and prospect of further sanctions will not really disturb us to the extent that they think would make us relent to their wishes." he said.