Iran considers policy changes only

AlJazeera.com:

Iran’s presidential candidate Ali Larijani said that Iran will consider policy changes only if the United States respects the Islamic republic and abandons its unilateral policies. READ MORE

“This means that instead of trying to eliminate Iran based on a win-lose situation, they should pursue relations with the country on a win-win basis,” Larijani, former head of state television, said in a press conference.

“By this I do not mean to say that the Iranians should hold an optimistic viewpoint on establishing ties with the U.S., especially after the 9/11 incident and the Americans’ violent behavior that convinced the Iranian people that the U.S. is pursuing a policy of adventurism in the region.”

“A powerful Iran can become the foundation for regional security, and those who think they can increase security in the region by weakening Iran are making a mistake.” Larijani added.

Asked about the Israeli threats against Iran, the presidential candidate said that he doesn’t think any of the Israeli or the American threats are serious, stressing that the Islamic republic is a very powerful nation that no country dares to attack.

Regarding Iran’s nuclear program, Larijani said that Tehran should provide assurances to the Europeans to prove that its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.

“We tried to provide a mechanism for confidence-building, but Europe has taken a hard stance and will soon lose its foothold in the Middle East if it continues with the current process.

“Nuclear technology is a national demand and is as important to Iranian public opinion as was the nationalization of the oil industry. No government is authorized to renounce nuclear technology, and if they are waiting for such a development in Iran, they are only wasting their time.”

Larijani also stressed that the nuclear guarantees should be bilateral, adding that the European Union’s demand for a complete halt to uranium enrichment is not acceptable “since uranium enrichment is a technology that the Iranians are keen to gain access to.”

On Friday, Iran’s major conservative alliance selected Larijani as its final candidate for the presidential elections.

President Mohamed Khatami is near the end of his second presidential term and, according to Iran’s law, he can’t run in the upcoming elections.

Larijani will compete with former president and current Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani in the presidential race.

“If I am elected by all fundamentalist forces, I will respect their votes and compete with Rafsanjani, despite all the respect that I have for his personality and the services he has rendered for the revolution.” Larijani said.

Iranian officials said that Rafsanjani will soon announce whether he will join the presidential race or not.