National Security Council saves right to control Iran's nuclear program
By Sara Rajabova
Iran's National Security Council will have main control over country's nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said, IRIB News reported.
He explained that the nuclear talks with P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) will be held from the Foreign Ministry's side, however the main control over country's nuclear program remains under the National Security Council.
Rouhani has officially assigned the Foreign Ministry to deal with the country's nuclear issues with both the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA and the P5+1 group.
Commenting on the methods of Iran-P5+1 talks, Zarif noted that the principles will be kept the same.
"These principles are protecting the nuclear technologies created by the younger generation. These are principles, however as far as methods go, they can change during the negotiations," Zarif said.
Earlier, Zarif has said that the group of six major world powers must enter negotiations with Tehran with a new approach.
He noted P5+1 group's past policy was wrong and they achieved nothing.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Ashton agreed to meet on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly session in New York in late September to discuss a resumption of negotiations over Iran's nuclear issue.
In his phone conversation with Ashton on September 6, the Iranian foreign minister reaffirmed Tehran's determination to resolve the Western dispute over its nuclear energy program "if Iran's rights are respected," and if the other side is also decisive to settle the issue.
Rouhani has officially assigned the Foreign Ministry to deal with the country's nuclear issues with both the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA and the P5+1 group.
The talks were previously conducted by Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Iran and the P5+1 group have held several rounds of talks on a range of issues, with the main focus being on Iran's nuclear energy program. The two sides wrapped up their latest round of negotiations on April 6 in the Kazakh city of Almaty. An earlier meeting had been held in Almaty on February 26-27.
The West suspects Tehran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, but Iran insists it is purely for peaceful purposes.
Iran reiterates that its main demand is that its right to uranium enrichment, as stipulated in the NPT, be recognized.