Tag Archives: nuclear

Former senior diplomat and presidential advisor: China & Russia’s entry into the nuclear negotiations was not to our benefit

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sadeq kharazi

Sadeq Kharazi, Iran’s former ambassador to France and the United Nations, who is both close to former President Mohammad Khatami and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and brother to former Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi, has claimed that “China and Russia’s entry into the nuclear negotiations was not to Iran’s benefit”.

In an interview with the Iranian Student News Agency published Friday 1 March, Kharazi stressed that he was against the addition of China and Russia from the outset.

He claimed he had held the view that “the entry of putatively friendly countries like China and Russia, not only will not be to our benefit, but will turn Iran into a means for bargaining between Russia and China with the West…and will result in the reduction of Iran’s deterrent power”.

He continued, “the time we had discussions with America…they apologised for the coup against the legal government of the late Dr. [Mohammad] Mosaddegh and sought absolution for their imperialist behaviour and released Iran’s money. Today it has reached a point where the gentlemen put forward negotiations to pre-empt a military attack. This is a real decline”.

Kharazi also rebutted the prospect of adding Turkey and Saudi Arabia to the current P5+1 group, saying that neither of these countries has sufficient “capacity” for the task.

Regarding the recent negotiations in Kazakhstan he stated Iran “must not pursue a superior position” but rather “we must pursue a win-win game”.

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Ahmadinejad has alleged 3 hour meeting at the home of imprisoned leader’s sister

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Ahmadinejad and Noghre kar

Baztab-e emruz claims that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad along with his family visited, and for some three hours, the home of the sister of Zahra Rahnavard, one of the political leaders of the so-called Green Movement and wife of Mir Hossein Mousavi, who is currently under house arrest. Baztab claims that Ahmadinejad visited the family in order to offer his condolences to Abdolhamid Noghre Kar and his wife Mrs. Rahnavard, Zahra Rahnavard’s sister. The alleged visit which has only just been leaked is reported to have taken place last week.

Ahmadinejad’s visit has as already been interpreted as another act of effrontery to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who according to the head of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces, is directly responsible for the house arrest of Mousavi, Rahnavard, and Hojjat al-Islam Karroubi.

Apparently Mrs. Rahnavard complained to Ahmadinejad of “lack of news” from Mousavi, Rahnavard, as well the opposition leaders’ children.

Ahmadinejad and Noghre Kar have known one another for some 40 years and have family ties. Noghre Kar, like Ahmadinejad, was a professor at the University of Science and Industry. When Ahmadinejad and other fellow students such as Sadegh Mahsouli (Ahmadinejad’s former Minister of the Interior) and Mojtaba Hashemi Samareh (a senior advisor to Ahmadinejad) were studying at the university, Noghre Kar encouraged them to continue their studies.

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Head of Iran’s National Security Commission says West will be the ‘loser’ if nuclear negotiations fail

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The head of the Majles’ National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, has told Tasnim News that “in the event of negotiations not yielding results, the West will be the real loser.”

Boroujerdi stressed: “The Islamic Republic of Iran doesn’t have a problem with the negotiations with the P5+1 yielding results and has always acted in accordance with its commitments in its peaceful nuclear activities.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran in its negotiations with the agency [International Atomic Energy Agency] also has on numerous occasions proven its peaceful nuclear activities and the Agency with repeated inspections and research has reached this conclusion [the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear activities]. But again the interference of America and its Western allies confronts the Iranian nuclear file with a challenge.”

“The process of peaceful nuclear activity, not only in these last nine months but during the last 10 years have made notable progress and we have attained noteworthy results in nuclear technology.”

“Our expectations from the Western side are that it be prepared to come to the negotiating table with a rational approach, in the framework of its own commitments and without manoeuvring for the benefit of hegemonic countries, and not have a further expectationthan the actual rights of Iran.”
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Intelligence Ministry Claims Arrested Journalists Linked to British Government

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The Ministry of Intelligence has released a statement in connection with the recent arrests of in excess of ten journalists from a number of different Iranian newspapers and news outlets, claiming to have arrested “agents of a media network dependent on England”.

“This network was managed by means of the Organization for Psychological Operations of the Government of England, known as the BBC and benefiting from the experience of the events of the sedition of 2009 [i.e. the unrest which followed the 2009 presidential election] and the cooperation of a number of western governments. Because of the number of layers, breadth, use of special communication tools and methods for sending news and receiving directives from foreign agents, they were under the watch and pursued by the nameless soldiers of the 12th Imam [namely agents of the Intelligence Ministry], until ultimately with the completion of the process of uncovering the domestic agents, agents established outside the country, the gathering of information and preparation of necessary judicial documentation, they were made subject to legal action. In this respect a number of items will be noted:

1)      For the reason of the special sensitivity of the case and numerous considerations relating to [issues of] information, security, and the law, the information gathered regarding the relations of the arrested individuals with the network of psychological-governmental operations of England, were completely documented and sound. Apart from the confessions of the accused, [the aforementioned] indicates [the network] is the kind and nature of media organization of the foreigners.

2)      Because of the number of elements connected with this network (inside and outside the country) and with a view to the extant differences in the type and level of contact of the elements under watch with the said network and presented information and probable unawareness of a number of those linked to the foreign source of the network, during the ongoing research in the days ahead, it is possible a number of those connected to the network will be summoned and arrested and a number of the previously arrested will be released. Because it can be assured this process will continue until the last individual attached to this network is found and the controversies of the psychological war machine of the media of arrogance and so-called human rights organizations attached to that base, and the abundance of fabricated and ad hoc organizations, will not have the least effect on the will of the nameless soldiers of the 12th Imam and the current process of measures [being taken].”

In other news

Asadollah Badamchian, a central member of the Front of Disciples for the Line of the Imam and Leadership, has told Tasnim news agency, that it is preparing to introduce a team of nine persons into the electoral race, and that amongst this nine, one will be chosen to run as the presidential candidate on behalf of the Front.

Masoud Alavian, the Deputy for Cultural Heritage has announced that the location of an attempted assassination against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will become a recorded national heritage site. Khamenei had been the object of a failed assassination attempt in June 1981, and while he survived, he lost the function of right hand.

The sites of the assassinations of a number of Iran’s nuclear scientists are also under review as possible national heritage sites.

As covered by Laura Rozen on Al-Monitor’s The Back Channel, the website Baztab-e emruz posted an article (which has since been removed) addressing inter-elite disagreements over the handling of Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the P5+1. The article is entitled, “Brothers, the nuclear negotiations hold the fate of 75 million people, they’re not work experience”.

Below are some translated excerpts:

“[T]he direct criticisms of Manuchehr Motakki with respect to the actions of the nuclear negotiating team, shows the points of consensus amongst experts, and also touches on the thoughts of some of the politicians in the official sphere”.

“The criticism of Motakki regards some of the recommendations of the nuclear negotiating team, about the direct broadcast of negotiations and the emphasis on obtaining new locations for the negotiations. But it seems the problems of the negotiating team far surpasses these two problems”.

“At a time when one of the young writers of Keyhan newspaper who doesn’t have minimal experience and expertise in diplomacy and international relations, has been transformed into the theoretician of the nuclear negotiations and moreover strives to be a continuous presence as the face of the Islamic Republic and “the key member of the negotiating team” in interviews with foreign publications and putting forward strange preconditions, what expectation can be had from the negotiations?”

“The successive changes in the location of the negotiations and their transfer from Geneva, to Istanbul, Baghdad, Moscow and now the plan for Cairo, which is itself the centre of internal crisis and entanglement, takes place with what logic?”

“Is the principle of obtaining results and solving the problem of 75 million Iranians or globe trotting and entering third party countries under discussion?”

“It seems with respect to the will of the regime for controlling the effects of sanctions on the economy of the country and the reduction of economic damage, those responsible for negotiating must improve their methods, so that the benefit of these successive negotiations accrue to the country and perhaps choose a fixed location for negotiations in a non-partisan country, like Switzerland or by rotation in several countries and permanently solve the marginal issue of the negotiations’ location and prepare the way for addressing the core of the issue and solving the country’s problem”.

 

Head of Majles Foreign Policy Commission: America has been defeated in Syria

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Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of the Majles’ Commission for Foreign Policy and National Security, in conversation with Khane-ye mellat, the Majles’ new agency, has said: “The changes in Syria are one of the most important links in the chain of repeated defeats of America in the region.”

“With view to the fact that America is warmongering in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan and Gaza, Syria was one very important link [in the chain]for the West, in particular America.”

“On the other hand, while America has not directly entered into the Syria debate, everyone knows that this country can use the resources of its European and regional allies, the billions of Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the resources of Turkey for changing the political structure of Syria. But in practice, after the passing of approximately two years since these events [began], today it can be said that America has been defeated in Syria.”

“Fortunately Bashar al-Assad as the legal president of Syria could with divine backing and the unceasing support of the countries of the resistance, especially the Islamic Republic of Iran and also countries such as Russia and China as the two permanent members of the Security Council, have defeated this American-Western front.”

Touting the “current successes of the Syrian army against the armed opposition,” Boroujerdi stated: “Today this issue has led to the approach of many countries, who previously believed in the overthrow of the political regime in Syria by military means, to change to political methods and negotiation, and this change of approach shows the defeat of American plans for changing the structure of the political regime in Syria.”

“With respect to the experience Lakhdar Brahimi enjoys [from his mediating role] in the crises in Afghanistan and Iraq, in the Syrian crisis, despite all the pressure from countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, he has tried to act in a moderate fashion. The appropriate positions of Ebrahimi are clearly seen in the reports of the United Nations.”

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What are the Endurance Front’s choices ahead of the presidential election?

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Prominent Tehran MP, Ismail Kowsari, has made a number of interesting comments relating to the neoconservative group close to hardline Ayatollah Mohammad Taqi Mesbah Yazdi, the Endurance Front for the Islamic Revolution, and its relationship with the Ahmadinejad government, as reported by the Reformist daily, Etemaad.

“The Endurance Front have separated from the government and are now counted amongst those excluded from government. In truth, for those who toiled for the government, they expected the government to be the same government of 2005 [i.e., when Ahmadinejad was first elected into office]. In this regard I think it doubtful they will form a coalition with a candidate from the government.”

Kowsari also speculated on the Endurance Front’s possible backing of Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, saying, “it still is not clear whether Saeed Jalili will become a candidate in the election, so we can’t say whether the Endurance Front will support him or not.”

It had previously been speculated that the Endurance Front might back Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, who ran on the front’s list in the last Majles elections. He is both head of the Majles’ minority Principalist faction and a close ally and in-law of the Supreme Leader. But this week the head of Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi’s office, Hojjat al-Islam Jalili, made a number of highly critical statements vis-à-vis Haddad Adel. No doubt due to his formation of a coalition with Principalists, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Ali Akbar Velayati, but also others such as Mostafa Pourmohammadi [a staunch Ahmadinejad government critic], who diverge from the Endurance Front on a number of issues and are generally seen as “moderate” by comparison. The comment which really stuck out was when Jalili forthrightly compared Haddad Adel to “edible and delicious water,” which had entered a “salty brook” and is as a result “useless.”

The chairman of the Endurance Front, Hojjat al-Islam Morteza Aqa-Tehrani, has also seemed to back off from previous comments that the Endurance Front would consider a coalition with Ahmadinejad’s favored candidate, stating, “what I said is clear, I said the engagement between the Majles and government is something on which [Ayatollah Khamenei] has spoken and he is still saying the same.” Aqa-Tehrani then named [Saeed] Jalili, [Parviz] Fattah and [Kamran Baqeri] Lankarani as prospective candidates the Endurance Front might put forward for the presidential contest.

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Adviser to Supreme Leader: We will never back down from our rights

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Former Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, in an interview with Bashgah-e khabarnegaran, referring to Iran’s position in negotiations with the P5+1 stated, “The positions of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the nuclear negotiations were completely clear and precise and these positions were consonant with international law and within the accepted global criteria and framework.”

He added, “Our opposing side in the negotiations are the permanent countries of the UN Security Council and Germany; up to now, they have not accepted that the very minimum of Iran’s rights be observed and in the negotiations with Iran have put forward demands extraneous to the international regulations and that which Iran has accepted in the form of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.”

Velayati, who is also chairman of the Global Assembly for Islamic Awakening, continued, “If we look behind the scenes of the negotiations between Iran and the P5+1, we see that perhaps some of the countries have a different position, but nonetheless the positions of America and its allies and subjects, in relation to the nuclear issue of Iran, they were alike and they say Iran must not benefit from peaceful nuclear technology.”

“During almost the last 10 years we imagined that after this question and answer the problems will be solved, but at every point we witness the P5+1 putting forward new issues … The spread of doubts, negative questions, and accusing Iran and exacerbating negative propaganda against Iran from Western and European governments doesn’t end, but Iran has never abandoned negotiations with the P5+1 or any other institution which has legal authority.”

Finally Velayati concluded, “we hope that the teams negotiating with Iran understand that we will never back down from our interests in preserving the nuclear rights.”

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Ahmadinejad’s formula for electoral success: an army of the unemployed?

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The Conservative site, Baztab-e emruz, which is known for being critical of the Ahmadinejad government has posted an article entitled, “What will Ahmadinejad’s electoral troops do?”

“With the revelation of orders by the government council for the employment of 12,000 people in the Organization for Taxation Affairs without [specified] qualifications, 1,500 individuals in the Executive Office of the President and 120,000 by governors across the country, one of Ahmadinejad’s plans for the future election has been uncovered”.

“The employment of 120,000 people without qualifications, means the establishment of 4000 troops in every province in the country, counting the tens of thousands in Tehran and special organizations, which mean the positioning of Ahmadinejad’s electoral troops”.

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Former Supreme National Security Chief: Crass talk is not foreign policy

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Hojjat al-Islam Hassan Rowhani, the former Chief of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who currently heads the Centre for Strategic Research, has made a number of critical comments vis-à-vis Iran’s foreign policy in recent years, claiming “it is not clear whether this approach was engagement or confrontation”.

The comments were made in the course of a meeting entitled “Change in Foreign Policy in light of the Vision Plan”.

Rowhani, who remains a member of the Expediency Discernment Council, also stated, “the manoeuvring undertaken by the authorities of a country have an impact in increasing or decreasing the cost to a country. Authorities have titles in their possession, which are not for themselves but are the trust of the nation. The nation placed these titles in their control so they can be used to the benefit of the people. Moreover, these titles must not be ruined and must be returned in a fit state to the people until they hand it over to another individual”.

“Indisputably foreign policy must entail much preparation to the end of reaching the position of the first economic [power] in the region. The economy and economic growth without the use of foreign policy resources is not possible and without it, economic growth of 8 percent as laid out in the vision plan cannot be reached. Some researchers studied how to reach this goal, other than by means of domestic resources and how much foreign capital we need; and the number is a high one. Now it must be seen whether in the last seven years of which approximately a third has elapsed [i.e. the Vision Plan is predicated on a 20 year projection] foreign policy has prepared the necessary ground for economic growth in accordance with the plan or not…If foreign capital enters the country, it is brings the technology of the day along with it”.

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Conservative MP: Principalists should admit they were wrong to support Ahmadinejad

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Ahmad Karimi Isfahani, a member of the Front for the Disciples of the Imam and Leadership, and an influential figure amongst the bazaar guilds, has told Nameh News that Principalists should “admit” that supporting President Ahmadinejad was a “mistake.”

Karimi Isfahani made numerous noteworthy points that might be thought representative of a considerable swathe of opinion amongst Principalist politicians:

“When Ahmadinejad says he is not a Principalist it is correct, and also truthfully Principalists have thought correctly and his actions of the last 7 years show that he cannot be a reforming candidate for the presidency.”

“In 2005 after the election was brought to a second round and two people had to be chosen from [i.e., Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]. At that time the Principalist by necessity settled on Ahmadinejad, not as an acceptable individual or one affiliated with the Principalists. Though some had reached the opinion that they would support him against the Reformists.”

Karimi Isfahani’s next comment is particularly interesting insofar as he reckons it to be Ahmadinejad’s lack of respect for the clergy which reveals the extent of his lack of Principalist credentials.

“Being a Principalist depends on passing through special phases and observing a determinate principle. Ahmadinejad’s action in confrontation with the clergy and Grand Ayatollahs alone shows that he is not  a Principalist. His disrespect toward the clergy and the dissatisfaction of the Grand Ayatollahs from his first term resulted in some Grand Ayatollahs not permitting him to enter their quarters. This all shows Ahmadinejad is not affiliated with the Principalists.”

“Some of the main body of Principalists supported Ahmadinejad’s slogans and today must clearly accept that the introduction of Ahmadinejad as a Principalist and the candidate of the Principalists was mistaken. We were not in agreement with his candidacy during the first term and not the second.”

“The facilities that are today in the control of followers of Ahmadinejad, in particular the deviant current, is very dangerous. Money can have an effect on society and even this worry exists that this current never use this money they have gathered together to attract some votes toward themselves. In any case power and money is in the hands of a group who want to rival the Principalists.”

Finally, Karimi Isfahani stated clearly and without ambiguity, “until the time that the view of the president has the Leader’s approval and legitimacy bestowed upon it, it is nothing.”

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