Iran Blames U.S. of Destroying Russian Efforts to Solve Nuclear Problem

MosNews
Mar. 02, 2006

Iran top nuclear negotiators have accused the United States of trying to destroy Russian efforts to solve the Iranian nuclear problem.

The AFP quoted one of the Iranian officials, Ali Larijani, as saying at a press conference in Moscow that “the Americans’ insistence on referring the Iran nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council signifies the destruction of the Russian proposal.”

Larijani called the United States an “obstacle” to the Russian plan. “We think that, in ideal circumstances, the Russian proposition can be developed,” he said. “We are trying to take positive steps in order to successfully implement the Russian proposal.” But even after Iran and Russia stated that they had held constructive negotiations, “the Americans announced that they were worried”.

The negotiator blamed the United States of lies when they say that Iran is pursuing the goal of creating nuclear weapons. “This does not correspond to reality,” Larijani said.

“I would suggest that the Americans say one thing but in reality are putting a spanner in the works of the Russian proposal. Obviously it is not in the Americans’ interest that such a successful regional proposal should come from Russia,” he said.

He was speaking a day after Iran and Russia failed to reach a breakthrough in high-stakes talks in Moscow on a Russian proposal aimed at resolving the impasse over Tehran’s nuclear program, a plan centering on joint enrichment of uranium at a facility on Russian soil. Larijani noted however that the negotiations were very useful and said Moscow and Tehran were in agreement on a number of issues. But he admitted that no date had been set for further consultations between Russia and Iran.

Larijani said Russia and Iran had dicussed a number of proposals which he said needed to be examined in a single package with a view to carrying out the Russian proposal for uranium enrichment and preserving Iran’s rights to develop civilian nuclear power.