Friday, November 25, 2005

Iran: Rafsanjani says Tehran Willing to Clarify Nuclear Plans

Adnkronos International:
Iran is prepared to remove all ambiguities regarding its nuclear programme, but will continue to demand that the international community does not use "ultimatums and other forms of adventurism", former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has said. His comments, at Friday prayers, come after the UN's nuclear watchdog decided not to refer Iran to the Security Council for possible sanctions. The decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was intended to give Russia time to broker a compromise deal under which Moscow would enrich Iran's processed uranium. READ MORE

Iran has been at risk of being referred to the Security Council after failing to convince the world that its nuclear programme is for power stations not atomic weapons.

"This time a kind of wisdom, precaution, and an avoidance of adventurism prevailed over the IAEA meeting," Rafsanjani said.

"These sorts of complicated questions require time and patience to be resolved" said Rafsanjani. He went on to say he hoped a 'rational' approach would prevail, regarding the adoption of "ultimatums or other forms of adventurism to which Iran will never bow and which would do nothing but increase tension".

Rafsanjani, who lost in the recent presidential race to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is currently chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council, that resolves legislative issues between the Parliament and the Council of Guardians.