Iran will remain committed to NPT

Following two days of multifaceted talks between Iran and the six major world powers, an Iranian official reiterates the Islamic Republic’s commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“The Islamic Republic fulfills its duties within the framework of the NPT,” IRNA quoted Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani as saying on Wednesday.

He emphasized that Iran’s nuclear program is entirely aimed at peaceful applications, saying, “Iran will go ahead with its nuclear activities which are the country’s right.”

The Iranian official criticized countries that imposed sanctions on Tehran and expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness to hold further negotiations in the future.

He pointed out that inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have made at least 30 snap inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities “but their reports included no evidence on production of nuclear weapons in Iran’s nuclear activities.”

Representatives from Iran and the P5+1 — Britain, China, France, Russia and the US plus Germany — wrapped up their latest round of comprehensive talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on January 22.

On Sunday, one day after the multifaceted talks, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad expressed hope that appropriate results could be achieved in future sessions of negotiations “if the other side is determined and committed to justice, law and respect.”

He then went on to warn officials from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany against pursuing the path of Israel and urged them to get rid of pressure by certain “narrow minded” Zionist individuals “if you want talks to bear fruit.”

“In that case, grounds will be prepared for further interaction,” the Iranian chief executive stressed.

The US and its allies, who accuse Iran of developing a military nuclear program, have used this pretext to pressure the UN Security Council to impose a fourth round of sanctions against Iran’s financial and military sectors in June.

Iranian officials have repeatedly denied the charges, arguing that as a signatory to the NPT and a member of the IAEA, Tehran has a right to peaceful nuclear technology.