FM warns West not to raise fabricated redlines in nuclear talks

Muscat, Nov 9, IRNA – Visiting Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif has warned Western parties at the nuclear talks not to invent redlines and instead try to find necessary political understanding for reaching a comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran. Speaking to IRNA, Zarif said Western parties can help reach an inclusive deal with Iran by accepting peaceful nature of Tehran's nuclear activities. Commenting on closeness of the two sides' viewpoints during the nuclear talks, Zarif said there are still gaps between the size of Iran's enrichment activities and the mechanism of lifting the Western sanctions against the country although the two sides have discussed various solutions. We can reach a conclusion if there is necessary political will on the other side, said the FM. Recalling the Leader's fatwa (religious decree) on banning the use of nuclear weapons in Iran's defensive doctrine, Zarif said the sanction-imposing states should realize that restrictions had no impacts on Iran neither did they benefit them. Sanctions are nothing but an illusion and obstacle, he reiterated. Zarif reiterated Tehran's firm determination to both preserve rights of the Iranian nation and reach a conclusion. Zarif, who heads the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, arrived in Muscat Saturday evening for trilateral talks with his US counterpart John Kerry and the EU coordinator for nuclear talks Catherine Ashton. The three are meeting on November 9-10 in the Omani capital to prepare the ground for the upcoming meeting of Iran and the Group 5+1 which will be held here on November 11./end