MP: Iran to Reconsider Relations if France Continues with Hostile Attitude
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A member of Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission warned Paris on Monday that continuation of the current antagonist policies by France could force Iran to reconsider its relations with the EU member state.
“The recent stands adopted by France can put at stake that country’s diplomatic relations with Iran and if those antagonist stances were to continue, we too, would definitely alter our relations with France accordingly,” Mohammad Saleh Jokar told the Tasnim News Agency.
Referring to the recent remarks of French President Francoise Hollande in his joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jokar said that tying up the fate of France with that of the Zionist regime and feeling indebted to Tel Aviv is quite a wrong approach.
Hollande assured Israel on Sunday that France would continue to oppose an easing of economic sanctions against Iran.
“We will not accept it for France and Israel to set conditions for us; protecting the inalienable rights of the Iranian nation is our red line and we will never cross that line," Jokar emphasized.
In related remarks on Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tehran expects the six major world powers to “respect” its right to enrich uranium based on the regulations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
The top Iranian diplomat stressed that enrichment is a “non-negotiable” right and urged all countries to respect it. “Full suspension of enrichment is absolutely our red line and we will not approach this red line,” Zarif pointed out.
In Israel, Hollande laid out four demands which he said must be in place for any deal to be successful. "France is in favour of an interim agreement but on the basis of four points," he said.
"The first demand: put all the Iranian nuclear installations under international supervision, right now. Second point: suspend enrichment to 20 percent. Thirdly: to reduce the existing stock.
"And finally, to halt construction of the Arak (heavy water) plant. These are the points which for us are essential to guarantee any agreement."
The US Secretary of State John Kerry has on the contrary caused a stir in Israel by accusing Tel Aviv of over-reacting in its opposition to the proposed nuclear deal with Iran.
In Washington on Friday, a senior US official said that a deal was "quite possible" at the upcoming talks in Geneva although tough issues remained unresolved.
"For the first time in nearly a decade, we are getting close to a first step... that would stop the Iranian nuclear program from advancing and roll it back in key areas," the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The US President Barack Obama, too, has urged the US lawmakers not to impose new sanctions on Iran while talks continue.
A senior Iranian lawmaker has said the Islamic Republic can leave the negotiating table if the US Congress approves additional sanctions against Tehran.
“The US Congress has recently been seeking to approve a bill to increase sanctions against Iran. It has been decided that the negotiations be suspended if the bill gets through the US Congress,” said Mohammad Hassan Asafari who sits on the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of parliament.