Larijani: Not optimistic about nuclear talks

TEHRAN, Dec. 17 (MNA) – The Head of Iran’s Judiciary’s Human Rights Council said he is not optimistic about the extension of nuclear talks with world powers. Mohammad Javad Larijani, who was speaking to the press on the sidelines of International conference on harmful effects of sanctions on Iran’s economy, told reporters that world powers would grasp ‘every opportunity’ to mount pressure on Iran, in response to a question about his evaluation of Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the 5+1. “We support negotiations and believe that our negotiators are experts in diplomacy, enjoying long service in their career; definitely, negotiations are in the framework informed by our national interests and we welcome a successful negotiations,” said the head of the Judiciary Human Rights Council. “However, we should not forget the fact that the other side including the US and EU have their own excessive demands and if negotiations fail, we assume that the conduct of the other side has brought such failure into talks, and our negotiators would not be blamed,” he added. Larijani also stated unconditional support for negotiation team in any case; “however, we are not optimistic about the extension of talks, and believe that the other side would seek every opportunity to mount pressure on Iran, which now has taken the form of low crude oil prices, targeting Iran’s oil incomes,” he asserted. “We see the lower oil prices as a contrived plan by those who are responsible for failure of nuclear talks; however we believe that the plan would be aborted, we should exercise prudence, since we have a tough negotiation still ahead, and true success would only come with relying on domestic capabilities,” Larijani suggested.