Iran to resolve N-issue based on national interests

A senior Iranian lawmaker says Tehran is determined to resolve the Western dispute over its nuclear energy program on the basis of its national interests in the upcoming talks.

“During the Geneva meetings, the Islamic Republic of Iran proved the fact to the Western side that it is steadfast [in its desire for]negotiations and reaching an agreement on the basis of its national interests,” spokesman for the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Hossein Naqavi Hosseini said on Monday.

The Iranian lawmaker made the remarks after a meeting in which Iran’s nuclear negotiating team briefed the parliamentary committee on two rounds of nuclear talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the US – plus Germany.

Hosseini condemned French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius for being one of the main reasons behind the failure of reaching a possible nuclear agreement in Geneva, saying his sabotage shows the pressure by Zionist regime put on the six powers.

During the last round of the nuclear discussions, Tehran and the Sextet managed to narrow their differences and were seemingly close to reaching an agreement on Iran nuclear issue.

However, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on November 9 that the Tel Aviv regime’s “concerns” must be taken into consideration in the course of the nuclear talks.

The Israeli regime, which rejects all international nuclear regulatory agreements, particularly the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity over its nuclear activities and refuses to allow its nuclear facilities to come under international regulatory inspections.

Iran, which is a signatory to the NPT, has repeatedly emphasized that its nuclear energy program is only for peaceful purposes and that the country does not need nuclear weapons.

The next round of the negotiations between Iran and the six countries is slated to be held in Geneva on November 20.