Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki hoped on Tuesday that continuation of the Vienna nuclear talks would help make an agreement on providing 20-percent enriched uranium fuel to Iran. The minister made the remarks commenting on the first round of talks on providing fuel for Tehran Nuclear Research Reactor which started in the Austrian capital on Monday.

Speaking to domestic and foreign reporters, Mottaki said it was agreed by the two sides that any comments on the outcome of the talks be made by Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei.

“It has become clear for both sides of the talks that Tehran’s reactor will need new fuel in the near future and that the IAEA was informed of the fact based on the international laws,” Mottaki added.

“A number of countries have announced readiness to meet Iran’s nuclear fuel demands and technical talks started to this end in Vienna since October 19,” said the minister.

No comments were made so far by the participating delegations on the outcome of the talks.


Iran’s Ambassador to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh refrained from providing any details about what happened in the multilateral negotiations at the end of Monday’s three-hour meeting.

He only told IRNA, “Making any comments on the matter is left up to the agency.”
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that the upcoming visit to Tehran of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will focus on issues of mutual interest.

He made the remarks in response to a question on whether Erdogan is visiting Iran to mediate in the country’s nuclear dispute.

Tehran-Ankara bilateral cooperation as well as the latest regional and international developments will top the agenda of talks to be held between Erdogan and senior Iranian officials, Mottaki added.

Iran’s peaceful nuclear program is going through its regular process and there is no need for any kind of mediation, he said.

On Iran’s proposal that fuel be provided to Tehran reactor, he said Russia and the United States have accepted to participate in the process to provide fuel to the reactor. This is natural to have technical negotiations with these two countries as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he added.

“Not too many countries are needed to provide Iran with the fuel, so there is no need for presence of France in that regard,” the Iranian foreign minister reiterated.

As to the latest developments in Iraq, Mottaki said Tehran has always underlined the need for national solidarity, integrity, stability and tranquility in that neighboring country.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the final decision on the three arrested Americans will come out only after a judicial verdict.

He made the remarks in his Tuesday meeting with press and reporters.

Noting that the three Americans were arrested for violating rules and illegally passing through Iran’s northwestern borders from Iraq, he said just a short while after their arrest, Iran corresponded with the Swiss Embassy in Iran - which looks after the US interests in Iran - and informed the embassy officials of their conditions following which a number of meetings took place between the Swiss embassy officials and the arrested Americans.

He said Iran has been treating the detained Americans in full compliance with the Geneva Convention.

Commenting on the situation in Yemen, the foreign minister said Iran was absolutely interested in the final settlement of issues in that country and said Iran has already offered to send a delegation to Yemen which was accepted by Sana’a.

He said the Iranian delegation would not act as a mediator but hold talks on the issue.

According to him, Iran considered developments in Yemen as an internal issue and never interfered in the country’s domestic affairs.

On Iran’s nuclear program, Mottaki said what was discussed during the recent talks between Tehran and 5+1 was Iran’s proposed package, stressing that Iran’s peaceful nuclear program has always been within the framework of the regulations set by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Iranian foreign minister further said his ministry had already proposed removal of visas for Azeri citizens to the Iranian government and was waiting the cabinet’s decision on the issue.

He said the move was taken as a part of a broader proposal to remove visas with Iran’s neighboring countries.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that the tragic terror attacks in southeastern Iran which killed and injured 60 people has “definitely external origin.”

Speaking to domestic and foreign reporters, Mottaki said, “What was recently being happening sporadically in eastern Iran and border areas with Pakistan has definitely an external origin.

“Thugs in eastern Iran cross the country’s borders with Pakistan where they live. The point is that these terrorist groups are related to regional intelligence services including those of Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Recalling the past relations between British forces in southern Iraq with some Iraqi terrorist groups, Mottaki said when Iran presented its evidences about their links, the British forces left southern Iraq and their links with Iraqi terrorist groups were cut off.

“We have warned London not to repeat what they did in Iraq in eastern Iran,” Mottaki added.