Straw and Kharrazi locked horns over the nuclear issue

LONDON, June 30 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Iran renewed its rejection to open its nuclear sites to tougher inspections, challenging visiting British Foreign Minister Jack Straw's warning of economic consequences on Monday, June 30, as a top Iranian official said that the head of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog would be soon invited to Iran for talks aimed at solving "technical problems" between Iran and the IAEA.

"We are ready for talks and co-operation. But Iran's transparency should be reciprocated," Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said at a joint press conference in Tehran with Straw, who earlier warned him the issue could affect Iran's relations with the European Union (EU).

Straw, in Iran for his fourth visit in just 19 months, told the BBC in a phone interview that "nobody knows for certain" whether Iran had nuclear weapons, but insisted that there were no circumstances in which Britain would agree to an attack on the country.

"What we, in concert with everybody else in the international community, are proposing is that they (the Iranians) have to sign up to what is called an additional protocol which provides for these more intrusive inspections," Straw was quoted by Agence France-Presse (AFP) as saying.

"The first consequence, obviously, if they fail to sign up, is that they fail to make progress on a host of other issues on which they do want progress, for example on a trade and cooperation agreement" with the European Union.

"They will also face, for example, a Russian Federation, which has been cooperative with Iran on the supply of some nuclear civilian technology, getting increasingly impatient with them," Straw added.

The United States accused Iran of using an atomic energy program as a cover for the secret development of nuclear weapons. Tehran has insisted that it is only interested in atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

The warning came few days after U.S. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice has threatened that Washington was ready to act alone against Iran if European countries did not cooperate in stopping it from allegedly developing nuclear weapons.

The trade carrot is an important incentive for Iran, which wants to cultivate ties with Europe as a counter-balance to the U.S, the BBC correspondent said.

No Comparison For War

Asked whether there were any circumstances in which Britain would agree to an attack on Iran, Straw said, "I can conceive of no such circumstances.

"No-one should ever compare Iran with Iraq in terms of their political systems or their danger."

Rice had earlier said that Washington would like to see a different kind of regime in Iran, the same reason mainly used to justify the invasion of Iraq along with the accusations of possessing weapons of mass destruction.

Senior U.S. government official John Bolton had also warned that the U.S. is going to use force to eliminate chemical, biological and nuclear weapons and take away these deadly arsenals from rogue states, which includes Iran.

'Double Standards'

Kharazi bluntly replied that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would not be allowed a tougher mandate here unless the international community first made its own concessions to Iran.

"When Iran is going to take positive steps, it is our right to expect positive steps from others," Kharazi said.

While Straw hinted that that policy was now in the balance, he stopped short of publicly issuing any ultimatum.

But Kharazi emphasized Iran's sentiment that the pressure the Islamic republic now finds itself under was a sign of "double standards".

"We have nothing to hide and will cooperate fully within the framework of our current commitments," he asserted. "But if we are going to sign new commitments, we need to know the implications."

Iran has complained that fellow NPT signatories have refused to meet their commitments on the transfer of "peaceful" nuclear technology. Instead, all the signatories, with the exception of Russia, have actively blocked the transfer of all nuclear technology to Iran.

That complaint was repeated Monday by foreign ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi, signaling little movement in late-night talks with Straw - who said sanctions could only be lifted after the additional protocol was "signed, ratified and implemented".

A top Iranian official said that the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog Mohamed El-Baradei would be soon be invited to the Islamic republic for talks aimed at solving "technical problems" between the country and the IAEA.

Human Rights

Straw and Kharazi also displayed their differences over human rights, with polite but profound disagreement over the nature of the June 10-20 wave of anti-regime protests here that were met with a stiff crackdown.

Kharazi politely told Straw to avoid interfering in Iran's internal affairs by supporting "rioters", saying Iran's government was "deeply unsatisfied" with remarks by British Prime Minister Tony Blair supporting Iranians who took to the streets.

In response, Straw said Blair's remarks backing the demonstrators had been misinterpreted.

"The United Kingdom's position is to support the right of free and peaceful assembly," he said.

Straw was thought to have discussed Iran on Friday, June 27, with U.S. national security adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Though it firmly backed Bush over Iraq, Britain has so far opted for the European approach towards Iran of engagement and dialogue.

"More Constructive" Role

Straw last traveled to Iran in October 2002, when the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq was looking increasingly imminent. Then he sought to secure a minimum of Iranian cooperation with the invading forces.

Diplomats said Straw - who met with President Mohammad Khatami and national security council chief Hassan Rowhani on Monday - would now be asking Iran to use its influence with Iraqi Shiite Muslim groups to play a "more constructive" role in the post-war reconstruction effort.

And in contrast to senior U.S. officials who have accused the Islamic republic of attempting to undermine the U.S.-British military presence in the country, Straw said he was "broadly satisfied" with Iran's conduct in neighboring Iraq.