Iran Demands Affirmation of Atomic Rights From World Powers

Iran said today it would seek formal acknowledgment of its atomic rights in future discussions of its nuclear program with the five permanent U.N. Security Council member nations and Germany, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, Sept. 27).

(Sep. 28) - Senior Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, shown in April. Tehran today indicated it would seek official acknowledgment from six world powers of its right to develop nuclear capabilities for peaceful purposes (Frederic Brown/Getty Images).

Washington and other governments have pressed Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program and other activities that could support nuclear weapons development. The Middle Eastern nation has defended its nuclear program as a strictly peaceful endeavor.
"Iran has announced its viewpoints and readiness for talks with the P-5+1. We are seeking to have Iran's nuclear rights recognized in these talks," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said (Agence France-Presse I/Google News, Sept. 28).
The discussions should acknowledge Iran's right under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to establish nuclear capabilities for civilian use, Deutsche Presse-Agentur quoted Mehmanparast as saying. Tehran would not trade away any rights or capabilities in the talks, the spokesman added (Deutsche Presse-Agentur/Monsters and Critics, Sept. 28).
Saeed Jalili, Iran's top nuclear negotiator, was working to schedule "a date and venue" to speak with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who would attend on behalf of the six world powers, AFP quoted the official as saying (AFP I).