Senior Iran cleric says talks with EU were doomed to fail

Iran Focus:

Tehran, Iran, Aug. 05 – Iran will not bow down to European and United States’ demands to cease its nuclear activities, a powerful hard-line cleric said during Tehran’s Friday prayers sermon.

“I tell them [the U.S. and the Europeans] that no matter how much bribe you give Iran to abdicate its legal rights, the Iranian government and our people will not give up their inalienable rights under any circumstances”, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who chairs Iran’s powerful Guardian Council, said. He was referring to demands by the U.S. and the EU for Tehran to give up its drive to develop the nuclear fuel cycle, which could allow the radical Islamic government to build nuclear weapons.

“Iran has made its decision. Whatever actions America and Europe take, it will backfire on them”, the powerful cleric said.

The European trio of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, who are spearheading nuclear talks with Tehran, handed over a package of incentives to Iran on Friday to persuade the Islamic Republic to continue its suspension of uranium conversion and enrichment.

The time for negotiations is over, Jannati said, adding that “it is now time for decisions, and Mr. Khatami pressed the button and announced that activities in the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan and then in [the uranium enrichment plant in] Natanz must be resumed”.

“From the beginning, we said that Europe has shown throughout the talks that it is used to deceiving and cheating us”, Jannati said.

“Europe has never been honest with Eastern countries. It sees itself as the master and the East as its servant”.

“From the beginning it was clear that Iran’s negotiations with the three European countries would not reach any results”, Jannati said.

“We must march along our own route”, Jannati said. “When we do something, we are willing to face the consequences, so stop threatening Iran”.