Rafsanjani sees nuclear deal with EU

Middle East Online:

Leading presidential candidate Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has expressed optimism Iran can forge a deal with Europe over its nuclear programme, but warned against negotiations taking too much time.

"We can reach an accord, but I cannot predict when that will happen," Rafsanjani told AFP in an interview when asked of the chances of reaching a deal in the talks with Britain, France and Germany.

Rafsanjani, the hot favourite to win June 17's presidential election, reaffirmed Tehran's position that it wanted to resume uranium enrichment activities, currently suspended for the talks. READ MORE

"We are against the negotiations being dragged out for no reason. The negotiations can continue longer, on the condition that we can resume our (uranium conversion) activities in Isfahan."

The cleric said it would be "positive" for the talks if the United States joined the Europeans at the negotiating table, claiming Washington had conceded that Iran should be allowed to carry out low-level enrichment of uranium. ...

Rafsanjani emphasised he had "always been hostile to the construction of nuclear arms and weapons of mass destruction", confirming that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had issued a fatwa (religious decree) to that effect.

Iran has pledged to suspend its activities linked to uranium enrichment, which makes what can be fuel for civilian power reactors or the explosive core of atom bombs, for the duration of the negotiations.

But it insists it has the right to carry out enrichment within the framework of a peaceful nuclear programme. Washington alleges Iran's nuclear drive is geared towards producing weapons, charges fiercely denied by Tehran.