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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Iran urges powers to accept nuclear rights in talks |
| 2012-06-05 |
| Adviser to supreme leader says recognition of Iranian nuclear rights within NPT would lead to "favorable result" at talks. An adviser to Iran's supreme leader has urged world powers to formally recognize its nuclear rights to bring about a "favorable result" at talks on its atomic program later this month, state media reported on Tuesday. Despite Iranian pressure in talks last month, Western countries avoided any explicit recognition, saying Tehran had no automatic right to enrich uranium because of its previous violations of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Iran maintains that under its membership of the NPT, it can develop a full nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful purposes including the preparation and enrichment of uranium. "I hope the P5+1 group recognizes Iran's inalienable nuclear right within the framework of the NPT and refrains from sitting on the sidelines," IRNA quoted Ali Akbar Velayati, an aide to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as saying. "By accepting Iran's right to use peaceful nuclear energy, the forthcoming talks in Moscow should reach a favorable result." Khamenei - who has total command over Iran's nuclear policy - has publicly forbidden the development of nuclear weapons. But Western nations suspect that the Islamic Republic's higher-grade uranium enrichment is part of a clandestine program to develop the material and components needed for the capacity to produce nuclear arms. |
| Posted by:tipper |