Larijani: There is no need to negotiate with Great Satan

Mehran Riazaty: Iran Analyst

The Iranian Students News Agency reported that, the Iran’s National Security Council Secretary, Ali Larijani in a meeting at Tehran University, said that the (West) didn’t want us to become atomic, but we are now atomic country. He noted that there is no need to negotiate with Great Satan, by adding that Iran never asked to talk with the U.S. on Iraq, but that it was the U.S which had asked. Furthermore, Larijani emphasized that Iran's sees no reason to depart of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. He states that "We will not take this step, unless we are forced to." READ MORE

Mehr News reported yesterday, in a meeting at Sharif University, Larijani told students that if Western countries want to threaten and pressure Iran, the Islamic Republic will reconsider its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On the possibility of Iran-U.S. talks on the nuclear issue, Larijani said, “We do not trust the U.S., like other countries.” He added that Iran will use all its potential to become a nuclear country. Larijani warned West by saying that “If you harm us, we will harm you, too, and this is serious.”

Analyst Comment: It seems that Iran’s foreign policy is mostly written by Iran's former Foreign Minister for sixteen years, Ali-Akbar Velayati, who is also close advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei’s in the Iran’s International Affairs.
On April 16, Velayati said that keeping in mind the US destructive moves in Iraq and their confused political status there; there are low chances for fruitfulness of holding talks with them, even if such talks would be held. Speaking to IRNA's Political Desk, Velayati stressed that his viewpoints on Iran-US talks reflect his personal viewpoints, and are not related his present or past state responsibilities. He added, "My pessimism is based on my knowledge about the nature of American politicians and judged by their conduct during the course of the past couple of weeks ever since Iran answered relatively positively to the proposal for holding talks with them." Velayati further clarified, "Their reaction to Iran's announcement of its readiness to hold talks, as well as the way they have been dealing with affairs in Iraq has made it clear both for us, and for the Iraqi nation and government that they are not truthful." The veteran political analyst criticized the contagious interference of the US and British governments in Iraq's internal affairs, setting example of the unwise conduct of the US Ambassador to Baghdad Zalmai Khalilzad. He said, "The Americans keep threatening and illegally setting datelines and duties for the Iraqi government, proving that they have adopted lots of secret decisions for that country behind closed doors and that what they say differs greatly with what they really have in mind."

Mehran Riazaty: a former Iran analyst for the Central Command of the Coalition Forces in Baghdad.

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