Iran accuses US of witchhunt
The speaker of the Iranian Parliament has said Washington is trying to complicate relations between his country and the European Union and was seeking excuses to make trouble for Iran.
“We have a lot of respect for Europe and we have a regular exchange of visits and views,” Mehdi Karoubi told the German magazine Der Spiegel in an interview which will appear in Monday’s edition.
“But the United States is trying to interpose itself between us and Europe. Also, the Europeans most act in a very intelligent manner,” he said.
The European Union has opted for constructive engagement with Iran over its contentious nuclear programme. The US, which accuses the Middle Eastern country of trying to build nuclear weapons, wants to have Iran censured.
Cooperation
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“The Iran goverment has decided to engage in full cooperation with the IAEA … and clarify and correct any possible failures” Iranian government statement |
Iran said on Tuesday it will show “full transparency” in its dealings with the international nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It also reiterated its commitment to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
“The Iran goverment has decided to engage in full cooperation with the IAEA … and clarify and correct any possible failures,” the government statement said.
Iran agreed to sign the “additional protocol,” an addendum to the NPT which allows the IAEA to conduct spot visits to suspect facilities, as well as to suspend uranium enrichment activities.
The IAEA governing board set a 31 October deadline for Iran to provide it with such a declaration. Failure to do so would have left the agency’s board with no choice but to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council for possible economic sanctions.
US isolated
US officials still insist Iran is in clear breach of the nuclear NPT, and if the 35-nation IAEA board agrees, it would have to notify the Security Council.
Washington had hoped to push the IAEA board to declare Iran in “non-compliance” with its NPT obligations at a 20 November board session.
Diplomats now say the US would receive little support for such a move.