Iran deplores language of threat, sanction

Ahead of a planned nuclear meeting in Vienna, Iran slams the West's use of the language of "sanctions and threats" against the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic.

"So far, western powers have achieved nothing by using the language of threats and sanctions against Iran. The West, itself, knows that this language is useless," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told reporters Monday.

"We have always announced that we advocate negotiations," he added.

Officials from Iran, the United States, Russia, France and the UN nuclear watchdog plan to hold talks in Vienna on October 19 as Tehran weighs its options to supply its research reactor in Tehran with enriched uranium of 20 percent for producing radio-medicine.

The talks will come after Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili sat down with diplomats from permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany (P5+1) on October 1 in Geneva and exchanged views on a wide range of global issues based on Iran's package of proposals recently presented to the West.

During the Geneva talks, those western countries that have long been huffing and puffing about Iran's mendacity over its enrichment program back down from calling on Iran to halt the program.

After the seven-and-a-half hour Geneva meeting, both sides described the discussions as constructive and agreed to resume the negotiations through October.

During his Monday press briefing, Qashqavi referred to the warning tone of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over Iran's nuclear activities.

"Such comments that include any kind of threats, deadlines and timetables will have no impact on the Islamic Republic in any way," he said.

"Our commitment to international laws and conventions are based on our legal entity," he added.

Clinton on Monday claimed “the world will not wait indefinitely'' for Iran to cooperate on its nuclear issue.

"The international community will not wait indefinitely for evidence that Iran is prepared to live up to its international obligations," she said after a meeting with her British counterpart, David Miliband, in London.

Clinton and other US officials have not been clear about the kind of “actions” they would like to see performed by Iran.

The deadline has been brought up by the US, demanding Iran open its new Fordo nuclear enrichment facility to IAEA inspections by the end of the month.

The US talked of a deadline while Iran had already volunteered to have the site inspected by UN nuclear watchdog inspectors, and stressed that the matter had nothing to do with the Geneva talks.

On October 4, the Director of International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei announced that inspectors would visit new plant in three weeks, based on arrangements made with Tehran.

Asked about Iran's request to buy 20 percent pure uranium from Russia and France, the spokesman said, "We have made our request on the fuel to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)."

"The tripartite meeting will be held to discuss price and ways of delivering the fuel," he added.

Iran's nuclear program has been under close scrutiny by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has confirmed the civilian nature of Iran's nuclear activities. Iran is also a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has insisted on total dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction throughout the world.