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Iran's Nuclear Program Still Political Not Security Issue - Analyst

Posted on: Saturday, 11 March 2006, 15:00 CST

Text of report in English by Iranian Mehr news agency in English

Tehran, 11 March: The Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) talked to some MPs and political analysts on Saturday [11 March] to learn their views on Iran's referral to the UN Security Council over its nuclear programme.

Political analyst Sadeq Zibakalam said Iran's referral to the Security Council was what the United States was pushing for over the years.

From years ago, the United States used different pretexts such as human rights violations, Iran's interference in Iraq, Iran's support for terrorism, and its nuclear programme in order to turn the world against the Islamic Republic, he added.

He pointed out that the United States has begun a campaign against Iran and it will not be content with sanctions against the country, saying that the United States, with a slight indirect pressure, has wooed the European Union, Iran's neighbours, and even Russia and China to its side.

On Iran's nuclear diplomacy, Zibakalam said that Iranian diplomats should have continued talks with the EU instead of Russia and China because the EU has more influence on Washington.

Now, the Iranian officials should try to be vigilant and bring the European Union back to a state of two years ago when it acted as a mediatory between Iran and the United States, the academic said.

The consensus between the EU - especially Britain, France, and Germany and the United States will not be in Iran's interest, he cautioned.

MP Reza Talai'i-Nik argued that UN referral is intended to isolate Iran politically and undermine national cohesion.

Therefore, the officials should inform the people of the realities and try to manage the economic and social affairs so effectively that the United States would not succeed to create a gap between the people and the officials, he stated.

Iran should try to avoid tension which might be used by the United States and Zionists to isolate the country, he advised.

International affairs analyst Ali Reza Davari said that Iran's nuclear issue is still a political and not a security issue despite the fact that it has been sent to the Security Council.

But the attempts by Washington which is changing Iran's nuclear issue into a security one can have bad consequences for Iran, he observed.

Now the conditions of Iran's nuclear dossier have changed. The best option for Iran is to continue its cooperation with the IAEA.

We should continue negotiations, he added.

Based on three principles of wisdom, dignity and prudence we can invite the United States to negotiations.

Today, in the international arena confrontation is meaningless, Davari observed.

Strategic affairs analyst Jahanbakhsh Izadi stated that Security Council referral is of great significance because it seems to be the final point and Iran must do its utmost to make a right decision.

The Security Council is where the issue must be settled diplomatically and reach a final point, he added.

He went on to say that there are still technical, legal, political, and diplomatic potentials that can be used to maintain Iran's nuclear rights.

MP Mahmud Abtahi of the Majlis conservative faction maintains that the Unites States new doctrine is to deprive independent countries of nuclear energy, adding, we therefore have to have independence in acquiring our (nuclear) energy and avoid division.

He also urged different political parties to be in harmony with the government with the aim of preserving unity.

MP Ahmad Pishbin who sits on National Security and Foreign Policy Committee believes that sending Iran to the Security Council is in line with the US policy to deter Iran's scientific and technological advancement.

The United Nations and its main organ the Security Council should act wisely towards Iran's nuclear issue so that the world will not distrust them, he pointed out.

He reiterated that Iran has always complied with the nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Source: BBC Monitoring Middle East

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