Official rejects reports Iran proposed Russia enrich its processed uranium and further EU3 talks uncertain

Tehran Times:

Iran will never entrust foreigners with enriching its processed nuclear products, an Iranian nuclear official said on Friday. READ MORE

Rejecting reports that Iran has proposed that Russia enrich the uranium it has converted, the official told the Mehr News Agency that the reports by the Western media are only psychological operations being carried out against Iran prior to the meeting between Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani and the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany, and France next week.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said that Iran would never halt activities at any of its nuclear sites or abandon its nuclear program, even if it is temporarily delayed due to certain concerns.

No government or country besides the Iranian nation can decide about Iran’s national nuclear energy program, he added.

“If Iran intended to entrust others with making decisions about its strategic nuclear programs, it would never have entered the heavy and intensive process of nuclear talks (with Europe).

“In the talks, we have always stressed that enrichment for peaceful purposes is Iran’s red line in negotiations. Therefore, Iran’s only reason for processing nuclear products is to continue with the enrichment process,” he explained.

The official said Iran hopes that Russia will live up to its commitments to supply the nuclear fuel required for the Bushehr nuclear power plant and to build confidence between the two sides, “although we are not very pleased with Moscow’s approach toward Tehran’s nuclear program.” ...

On Thursday, nuclear negotiator Hossein Musavian spelled out Tehran's decision and also cautioned that it was "not certain" that the crisis talks will take place next week with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany.

The holding of the talks, he said, were subject to experts from both sides reaching a "mutually acceptable" basis of an agreement over the coming days.

Musavian said that if both sides failed to agree, uranium conversion work at a plant near the central city of Isfahan could restart before Iran's June 17 presidential election.

"For the meeting to take place, the experts must arrive at the basis of a mutually acceptable accord so there is a chance of finding a solution. This is not yet the case," he added. He said that "if there is no accord, it is possible that Iran resumes its activities at Isfahan before the presidential elections." The official also said that if there was an accord, Iran "could maintain the suspension of our enrichment activities at Natanz for several months." ...

But no incentives will persuade Iran to abandon its plans to enrich fuel, said Musavian. ...