Nuclear standoff: Iranian delegation in Moscow

Iran: “Efforts to resolve the nuclear issue”

Photo: Nuclear standoff: Iranian delegation in Moscow

The Islamic Republic of Iran has sent a high-level delegation to Moscow to hold discussions about the nuclear proposal presented by the Russian Federation. IRNA, Iran’s official news agency, describes the initiative as an attempt “to resolve the nuclear issue”.

The delegation, led by Deputy Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Seyed Ali Hosseini-Tash, arrived in Moscow on Monday morning for a second round of discussions. The Russian proposal to enrich the uranium from Iran’s nuclear plants was an attempt to break through the stand-off created by western countries, who refuse to admit Iran’s right to build a peaceful nuclear programme for energy-producing purposes.

The Russian Federation has tried several ways in which to solve the issue while allowing Iran its right under international law to have an alternative to fossil fuels, namely enriching uranium inside Russia and also, having a nuclear facility in Russian territory which feeds both countries with energy.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY