The head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission warned Western countries on Sunday of “losses” they will sustain unless they respect Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi gave the warning to Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany in an exclusive interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
“In recent months, the U.S. and its allies have witnessed the Iranian scientists who produced the required fuel for the country's nuclear power plants and fuel Tehran’s research reactor with domestically-built 20-percent-enriched rods to yield radio medicines for treatment of 800,000 Iranian patients,” Boroujerdi said.
He pointed out that the key message of such achievements is that Iran has fully mastered nuclear know-how, and that the countries will incur losses in case they refuse to accept the reality that the Islamic Republic of Iran is capable of in the field of nuclear technology.
Boroujerdi also said that Iran would not compromise over its nuclear energy program.
The lawmaker called on nuclear powers to avoid confrontation vis-a-vis Iran's nuclear energy program, and instead engage in constructive interactions with Tehran.
“Lawmakers expect the Iranian nuclear negotiating team to bring about change to the present situation, to obtain the cancellation of (UN) resolutions on Iran, and that the Iranian nuclear issue is taken from the Security Council and put back before the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors,” Boroujerdi said.
The comments come as Iran is feeling increased pressure from the latest round of sanctions imposed on it.
Belgium’s Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), which handles most international bank transfers, has eliminated Iran from its services.
The move is a “direct result of international and multilateral action to intensify financial sanctions against Iran," said SWIFT CEO Lazaro Campos. The embargo on Iran took effect Saturday and reduces Iran’s ability to use a secure network to receive payments. It also will affect Iranians wanting to receive money from relatives outside the country.
In response, the Islamic Republic warned on Sunday it may impose a blockade on oil exports that threaten the world’s economies.
On Friday, a senior Iranian official Friday said Tehran is prepared to allow "permanent human monitoring" of its nuclear program in exchange for "Western cooperation."
Mohammad Javad Larijani, a key advisor to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the West should accept Iran's "peaceful nuclear program," sell Iran 20 percent enriched uranium, and provide the customary assistance nuclear nations provide to those building nuclear power plants.
In return for cooperation from the West Iran would offer "full transparency," Larijani said.