TEHRAN, Iran – Iran’s top decision-maker Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Monday, February 17, his country’s nuclear talks with world powers will “lead nowhere”, pouring cold water on the negotiations.
Iran is due to resume talks on Tuesday in Vienna with the P5+1 major powers – Britain, France, the United States, Russia and China plus Germany – aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord on its controversial nuclear programme.
After a decade of failure and rising tensions, US President Barack Obama has put the chances of an agreement at “50-50”, while Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has predicted “difficult” discussions.
“Some of the officials of the previous government as well as the officials of this government think the problem will be resolved if they negotiate the nuclear issue,” Khamenei said in remarks published on his website Khamenei.ir.
“I repeat it again that I am not optimistic about the negotiations and they will lead nowhere, but I am not against them,” he added.
Under a landmark interim deal clinched in November, Iran agreed to freeze some nuclear activities for 6 months in exchange for modest sanctions relief and a promise by Western powers not to impose new restrictions on its hard-hit economy.
Western powers and Israel have long suspected Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons capability alongside its civilian program, charges denied by Tehran.
The scheduled 3-day meeting in Vienna between Iran and the so-called P5+1 is the first in what is expected to be a series of tricky encounters in the coming months.
Under the “comprehensive” deal now being sought, which the parties aim to conclude and commence implementing by November, the powers will want Iran to scale back its activities permanently.
‘Excuse for America’
These might include closing the Fordo facility, slashing the number of centrifuges enriching uranium, cutting its stockpile of fissile material and altering a new reactor being built at Arak, diplomats say.
In exchange, Iran would see all UN Security Council, US and EU sanctions lifted.
Khamenei said Iran would abide by its pledge to pursue the negotiations, adding that Iranian officials should “continue their efforts”.
“The work that has been started by the foreign ministry will continue and Iran will not violate its commitment, but I repeat it again, it will lead to nowhere,” Khamenei said.
“The Iranian nation emphasised that it will never succumb to the bullying and blackmailing of America,” said Khamenei, referring to anti-US slogans chanted by huge crowds during nationwide celebrations last week of the 35th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution.
He also said Iran’s nuclear issue was being used as a pretext for Washington to pursue hostile policies towards the Islamic republic.
“The nuclear issue is an excuse for America (to continue) its animosity. Now, the American spokesmen are bringing up the issues of human rights and missiles.”
Wendy Sherman, the US lead negotiator in the talks, said Iran should also address the concerns of the international community over its ballistic missile program in any comprehensive deal.
US officials have also said pressure should be maintained on Iran over its alleged violation of human rights.
Zarif, on his arrival in Vienna for the talks, reiterated on Monday that those topics were not up for discussion.
“We will tell them these issues are not relevant topics for these negotiations. We insist on discussing the issues which we were agreed upon in the last round of talks,” he told state news agency IRNA.
When asked whether he had full authority for the negotiations, the foreign minister said he had a “defined framework.”
“The supreme leader sets the major policies, the president sets the necessary framework for executing them and we – at the foreign ministry – are responsible for implementing these policies,” he said. – Rappler.com
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