An Iranian lawmaker has called on Western powers to shift toward a moderate approach vis-\u00c3\u00a0-vis Iran in the course of the negotiations over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program.\n<\/p>\n
\u00c5\u201cParties to the talks with Iran suspended the negotiations long ago due to the elections in Iran; but now that they welcome the election of [Hassan] Rohani [as Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s new president], they should shift their approaches from extremism to moderation,\u201d said Hossein Naqavi-Hosseini, the spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Majlis on Tuesday.\n<\/p>\n
Iran and the P5+1 – Russia, China, France, Britain, and the United States plus Germany – have held several rounds of talks, mainly over the Iranian nuclear energy program.\n<\/p>\n
On whether a fresh round of talks is likely to be held between Iran and the P5+1 in mid-August, Naqavi-Hosseini said, \u00c5\u201cIn the course of its nuclear talks with the Western sides, the Islamic Republic of Iran has built the necessary confidence, and (now) it is awaiting a change in approach on the part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the P5+1.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The legislator also alluded to Rohani\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s experience as Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s chief nuclear negotiator from October 2003 to August 2005, and noted that the president-elect was fully cognizant of the principles of Iran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s foreign policy and its red lines.<\/p>\n
He said Western countries should not expect the change of the president in Iran to lead to a major shift in Tehran\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s stance in the trend of the talks.\n<\/p>\n
The US, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program and used the unfounded allegation as a pretext to impose illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic.\n<\/p>\n
Tehran has categorically rejected the accusation, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the IAEA, it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.\n<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, numerous inspections of Iran’s nuclear facilities by the IAEA have never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear energy program has been diverted toward non-civilian purposes.\n<\/p>\n
ASH\/NN\/HJL<\/p>\n