MPs call for resumption of enrichment if EU violates Paris pact


TEHRAN, VIENNA (MNA) –- Majlis representatives and political analysts believe that Iran should immediately resume uranium enrichment and even withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if the European Union reneges on the commitments it made in regard to Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran recently struck a deal with the European Union trio -– Britain, Germany and France –- in Paris according to which Tehran agreed to temporarily suspend all uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities in order to clear up the ambiguities about its nuclear program. In return, the EU agreed to recognize Iran’s right to enrich uranium to produce nuclear fuel for generating electricity.

MP Javad Jahangirzadeh of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said on Tuesday that since it is becoming clear that European Union only wants Tehran to fulfill its commitments to the Paris agreement, Tehran should take the last step and quit the NPT.

Jahangirzadeh stated that British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw’s threat that Iran’s nuclear dossier would be sent to the UN Security Council if the Paris agreement is not observed and reports by some Western media quoting diplomats as saying that the EU has indirectly included a trigger mechanism in its draft resolution on Iran’s nuclear program are indications that the Europeans are making the situation worse for Iran and confirm the point made by some Iranian officials, who at first argued that Iran should not talk to the Europeans and instead should only rely on international organizations.

MP Hamid Reza Hajbabayi said on Tuesday that Iran will resume uranium enrichment if Europe fails to live up to its commitments toward Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors session on Thursday.

“The draft has referred to ‘sustained’ suspension of uranium enrichment by Iran,” Hajbabayi added.

The MP stated that Iran has always announced that it would only accept suspension for a limited period of time.

He stressed that Iran would remain committed to its obligations until the end of the IAEA Board session on November 25 and hoped that Europe would not renege on the deal.

“Otherwise, the Majlis will authorize the government to annul all its commitments toward the Europeans,” he added.

Political analyst Seifolreza Shahabi said on Tuesday that Europe should act wisely toward the Paris agreement and consider the international and regional sensitivities, otherwise the regional security situation would become worse. NAM calls EU draft resolution on Iran’s nuclear program illegal

In a meeting in Vienna on Tuesday morning, the ambassadors of Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries which are members of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors announced that the European Union draft resolution on Iran’s nuclear program is not in line with international law.

If the proposed draft resolution is not altered to make it conform with international law and the agreements signed between Iran and the European Union, NAM will propose a separate draft resolution, the NAM ambassadors announced. ---------G-77 supports Iran’s civilian nuclear program

The Algerian ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Taous Ferokhi, said on Tuesday that the Group of 77 will support Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, adding that the group would back the Paris agreement reached between Iran and the European Union trio.

Ferokhi dismissed media reports that she had objected to the Paris agreement during a recent fact-finding visit to Iran’s Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility.

Ferokhi, who chairs the G-77 group at the IAEA Board of Governors, told the Mehr News Agency correspondent in Vienna that Iran is a member of the group and if the group’s members reach a consensus on all aspects of Iran’s nuclear dossier it will support Iran at the IAEA Board meeting.

China also supports the G-77 position, she added.

She said that if the G-77, which includes almost all the developing countries, gets a complete understanding of Iran’s nuclear program it can present a clear picture of it and even rectify any mistakes made by IAEA inspectors.

Ambassador Ferokhi stated that she was optimistic that the IAEA Board would soon resolve the issue of Iran’s nuclear dossier. -------Iranian nuclear spokesman makes surprise visits to Russia, China

Following a renege of the commitments by the Europeans and the writing of a draft resolution on Iran’s nuclear dossier, which violates the Paris and Tehran agreements, the Iranian nuclear spokesman Hossein Musavian made a surprise visit to Russia and China.

The Mehr News Agency correspondent in Vienna said on Tuesday that Musavian was in Moscow on Monday and held talks with senior Russian officials and he is now in Beijing pursuing the discussions with Chinese officials. So far, there has been no word on the content of the talks.

Musavian will join the Iranian nuclear delegation in Vienna on Wednesday.