Last evening, Dr. Talal Ridha Talani, a member of Iran's Shoura Council, discussed Tehran's nuclear program on Al Alam TV. It's loaded with lies, mischarecterizations and threats to the West that go unchecked by the reporter. We've highlighted some. Below is the full text of the interview as translated from the original Arabic:
Q: Now, and, in order to shed some more details, clarification and analysis, about Iran's reactions to the Western suggestions today, Dr. Ridha Talani, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the Shoura Council in Iran, is joining us in the studio.
Dr. Talal Ridha Talani, welcome to our program. Iran is adamant about its right to enrich uranium despite the possibility that it might be facing - in less than a week from now, diplomatic, economic and other forms of punishment. Iran is still insisting on its right to continue the uranium enrichment program, even during these negotiations (with the West). What is behind Iran's insistence to continue its uranium enrichment program?
Dr. TALAL RIDHA TALANI: In the name of God, the beneficent and merciful. Since Iran is considered a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for the prevention of the spread of nuclear weapons, according to the fourth section of this agreement, all member states have the right to enrich uranium. Iran is still a member of this agreement and has been committed to its provisions since 32 years ago.
The past and current Iranian enrichment activities have been and continue to be under the close supervision of the United Nations' Nuclear Agency. The cameras of this agency continue to monitor and its representatives continue to investigate our activities. Therefore, we see no new legal or field evidence that make it necessary for us to stop our enrichment program.
We continue to insist on our right to use this enrichment program for peaceful and scientific purposes. There is no logical reason to stop this enrichment program. Iran must be regarded just like any other member country. Iran insists on being treated so, without ambiguities or doubtful questioning. We continue to cooperate with the Western countries and we approved their initial suggestions after studying all details.
Q: Dr. Talal Ridha Talani- The Secretary-General of the United Nations stated that Iran may loose a historical chance if it refuses the Western suggestions. Are we to understand from this statement by the United Nations Secretary-General and similar statements made by other international officials that the refusal of Western suggestions will mean the closure of all doors leading to political negotiations and the beginning, perhaps, of a new harsher phase of pressures on Iran?
Dr. TALANI: The United Nations Secretary-General must be careful about making statements which may damage the fragile international system and sensitive international agreements. We are dealing with legal issues that are grounded in international agreements. On these bases, we are ready to negotiate.
But, they insist on putting us in a very sensitive position - either at zero or at one hundred in terms of possession. They assert that we must not posses any nuclear program at all. This means the existence or total absence of a nuclear enrichment program for us. When we are only required to say yes or no to their suggestions, we will not play by theses rules. This position is unacceptable to us.
During all of the past phases we were not able to arrive at final agreements because of the above concerns. As long as the negotiations were going on, there was hope that things might change. This matter was discussed today at the Supreme Council for the National Security of Iran. We decided to deliver a strong message to all permanent members of the Security Council conveying our position and demands for further clarifications to the Western suggestions.
Q: Ok. Iran has a fundamental position about the continuation of the enrichment program. The United States declared that if this week passes without arriving at an agreement, Iran will face hard sanctions. In the case that pressures become harder on Iran, as threatened by the United States, will Iran undertake some actions to stop the inspections, to prevent the arrival of inspectors at places they want to search? There are rumors among some media that Iran has already begun such steps and is already preventing the arrival of these inspectors.
Dr. TALANI: Until now, the United Nations, the Security Council and the entire Western world have been dealing with us in a very positive way. We were cooperating with internal efforts so far. But if the United States wants to exert harsher pressure to force the Security Council to move away from normal legal processes, if the United States wants to resort to false alibis and international security excuses in order to exert political pressure against Iran, we will know how to fight back.
We know that the United Sates is seeking to move the Iranian nuclear program away from legal processes and into international security concerns. We have severe criticism and opposition to this direction. For this reason, the delegates of the Iranian people in the Shoura council have insisted that if the United States wants to exert its political weight on the Iranian nuclear files and if the United States wants to make illegitimate and unacceptable demands on Iran, we will react by limiting and obstructing the inspections activities. We will also withdraw from the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and all similar, relevant agreements that followed.
We expect the United States to exploit the Western world and the issue of the international inspectors in order to make this matter an international security concern. The United States will place this issue at the top of its political agenda in order to secure some political gains. We will surely oppose this approach and will prevent the Security Council from following this path.
If the Security Council wants to deal with us on such an illogical, illegal and irrational basis, we will refuse to cooperate.
Q: Are you counting on the differences in the positions of the five permanent members of the Security Council, particularly, Russia and China? Are you confident about the positions of these two international powers?
Dr. TALANI: Yes, we have begun detailed discussions with some of these countries and we have received some suggestions back from them. We still have a lot of details to work out with these countries about cooperation in the enrichment process. This is evidence that there are variations in the positions of some of these countries. We see some points upon the far horizon on which we might agree with these Western countries.
With regard to the sanctions- this represents the final position that the United States, England and France may resort to. But before that, the approval of such sanctions must go through the Security Council. Even, if this boycott is approved, we are prepared to deal with it and have devoted a lot of energy and resources to this issue. We are also prepared to deal with the majority of the problems related to any boycott enforced on us, should this be approved. The situation in the region makes it clear that Iran possesses the means to break this political and economic boycott, despite the existence of some problems.
At the same time, the problems facing the oil-importing countries and other countries with international trade agreements, particularly with Iran, will be bigger and much harder to deal with. After the defeat of the Zionist entity by the Lebanese resistance fighters, the United States will carefully review its plans and strategic options vis-a-vis Iran. What happened in Lebanon proves, beyond any doubt, that the American supremacy is no longer guaranteed. We, for sure, are prepared for any such sanctions or boycotts.
But, at the same time, we are still hoping to arrive at an agreement, an understanding to make it possible for us to arrive at a certain point in the enrichment process. This does not bode well with the Americans and their Western functionaries. The Western world, by stopping negotiations with Iran over the continuation of the uranium enrichment programs, will be responsible to their countrymen for the possible undesirable consequences of these actions against Iran.
Iran calls on the Western world to choose a peaceful resolution. If not, this will mean that the West has completely abandoned the peaceful resolution and is pursuing other options which come against the United Nation's treaty.
Q: Dr. Ridha Talani, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and member of the Shoura Council in Iran, thank you very much for being with us.
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