:00:01. > :00:11.stock markets in Europe closed down and borrowing costs for Spain and
:00:11. > :00:11.
:00:11. > :00:14.Italy rose sharply. Now it is time for HARDtalk. Iran's nuclear power
:00:14. > :00:24.programme has been a source of international tension for the past
:00:24. > :00:30.
:00:30. > :00:34.decade. It has been unable to shrug off the suspicion that its pursuit
:00:34. > :00:37.of nuclear energy is also an effort to make nuclear weapons. Iran
:00:37. > :00:40.insists it has no such ambitions but many of the world's major
:00:40. > :00:44.powers remain unconvinced. The international community is seeking
:00:44. > :00:46.assurances from Iran at a fresh round of talks in Moscow later this
:00:46. > :00:49.month. We speak today to Dr Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Iran's ambassador
:00:49. > :00:59.to the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA. What guarantees can Iran give
:00:59. > :01:12.
:01:12. > :01:22.that its nuclear ambitions are entirely peaceful? Thank you for
:01:22. > :01:22.
:01:22. > :01:26.being with us on HARDtalk. pleasure. Are you serious about
:01:26. > :01:33.persuading the international community that Iran does not have
:01:33. > :01:39.an does not want a nuclear weapons programme? We are serious and
:01:39. > :01:49.determined and we have done so during the last decade that this
:01:49. > :01:51.
:01:51. > :01:59.issue has been politicised. An inspection, unprecedented in the
:01:59. > :02:02.history of the R A A E A has been conducted in Iran. They have not
:02:02. > :02:12.found to even one gram of the uranium suitable for military
:02:12. > :02:14.
:02:14. > :02:23.purposes. This is a certificate of health. And has proved that our
:02:23. > :02:31.purposes are not military. It has not proved that. They fear or a
:02:32. > :02:41.hardening of Iran's stands. There were negotiations on Friday and the
:02:41. > :02:47.chief negotiate heard described them as unsatisfactory. He does not
:02:47. > :02:51.think you are being constructive at all. Let me explain to you in a
:02:51. > :02:58.couple of minutes the background, so that you'll do as well have a
:02:58. > :03:04.better understanding. We have to make a distinction between a normal,
:03:04. > :03:10.routine inspection on nuclear activities and material in Iran.
:03:10. > :03:14.The second point is the allegations by a few countries, mainly the US
:03:14. > :03:22.and a couple of other European countries, for the last ten years,
:03:22. > :03:29.trying to keep this Open. Then negotiation with the regulatory
:03:29. > :03:39.body is on this specific issue of allegations. This is not a routine
:03:39. > :03:41.
:03:41. > :03:48.inspection or does it have anything to do with the NPT regulations.
:03:48. > :03:56.INAUDIBLE having legal and technical dimension. One continues
:03:56. > :03:59.with these discussions. Talks have been going on for ten years. In the
:03:59. > :04:06.international community there is a concern that Iran has made some
:04:06. > :04:11.positive noises and is now seem to be hardening its stance. There are
:04:11. > :04:16.fresh talks with the five members of the UN Security Council plus
:04:16. > :04:25.Germany later this month. Already, there have been negative noises
:04:25. > :04:31.coming out. Yarran mac has accused the UN foreign policy chief of the
:04:31. > :04:38.dithering. Have you written off those talks as well? Please do not
:04:38. > :04:46.make a mistake. Out talks are on the possible military dimension
:04:46. > :04:54.started months ago and the agency has welcomed these. 100 members of
:04:54. > :05:04.the agency, for the last ten years without interruption have supported
:05:04. > :05:05.
:05:05. > :05:12.Iran. Please don't misinterpret public opinion. This is a very
:05:12. > :05:20.clear, important message to the world. Regarding the five Plus One,
:05:20. > :05:25.I have to remind people than some other countries have requested that
:05:25. > :05:35.the nuclear issue also be on the agenda of the five plus one and
:05:35. > :05:38.
:05:38. > :05:42.Iran talks. We are ready to talk about nuclear issues. There have
:05:42. > :05:50.already been talks in April and May this year. They failed and now they
:05:50. > :05:58.are going on until June. Beefier is amongst Security Council members
:05:58. > :06:04.and Germany that Iran is not serious when it enters these talks.
:06:04. > :06:13.You should Nantes underestimate the success of Istanbul to M' when all
:06:13. > :06:18.parties agreed on some principles. That is the Nuclear
:06:18. > :06:26.Nonproliferation Treaty. And also the step-by-step reciprocal
:06:26. > :06:31.approach. All parties involved agreed on this step. If all parties
:06:31. > :06:39.tried to comply with it's that commitment they will be committed
:06:39. > :06:45.to the agreement in Istanbul to and it will be a success. And we will
:06:45. > :06:53.get into detail of concerns and evidence and Moscow said it is
:06:53. > :06:59.concerned about a possible nuclear weapons treaty and the concerns of
:06:59. > :07:07.the Security Council. If everything has been successful, why are the
:07:07. > :07:13.war drums beating? Somebody said that time is running amount and
:07:13. > :07:18.that Iran is deploying a strategy of deception and concealment.
:07:18. > :07:23.Binyamin Netanyahu has said he will never allow Israelis to live in the
:07:23. > :07:33.shadow of annihilation. Do you fear the day that a possible attack
:07:33. > :07:34.
:07:34. > :07:42.could be learning? I have said before that they should not even
:07:42. > :07:52.think about attacking Iran. They have deception in their nuclear
:07:52. > :07:57.
:07:57. > :08:07.policy and when the former prime minister a head on it suggested
:08:07. > :08:28.
:08:28. > :08:36.that, they denied it. Therefore, the policy of. The US ambassador to
:08:36. > :08:43.Israel said the option to strike was fully available. Them Aquiles a
:08:43. > :08:50.resolution passed in 1919 in the agency which said that any threat
:08:50. > :08:56.of attack during construction is a violation of the UN Charter. The UN
:08:56. > :09:04.Security Council should immediately act in that case. If the US is
:09:04. > :09:09.threatening attacking Iran, violating the UN statute. The UN
:09:09. > :09:14.has to have a strong reaction and the US will be accountable for this
:09:14. > :09:18.violation of international law and the UN Charter. OK, but the war
:09:18. > :09:27.talk is not just coming from the US and Israel. It is coming from Iran
:09:27. > :09:30.as well. In May a major of the Iranian forces said that at Iran
:09:31. > :09:38.remains committed to the full annihilation of the Zionist regime
:09:38. > :09:46.of Israel. And you, yourself, said that if Iran wants to build nuclear
:09:46. > :09:53.weapons, no-one will be able to prevent it. Let me clarify this
:09:53. > :10:00.issue at once and forever. As we have said for the last 30 years, we
:10:00. > :10:04.are against a weapons of mass destruction and we proved that in
:10:04. > :10:13.spite of 100,000 Iranians being affected and victims of chemical
:10:13. > :10:19.weapons, we did not retaliate. This is proof that we are really against.
:10:19. > :10:25.Our Supreme Leader was also given a fatwa. Therefore we are against
:10:25. > :10:35.nuclear weapons and we are working hard with other countries and
:10:35. > :10:39.
:10:39. > :10:45.member states of the Aiton seemed to mobilise against nuclear weapons.
:10:45. > :10:50.You haven't said anything about the attack of Israel. Listen to me. For
:10:50. > :10:58.the last 20 years we have not sent table at anywhere in the world. We
:10:58. > :11:07.are a very peaceful nation. The issue is mentality. We are against
:11:07. > :11:12.mentality which is against humanity. We were against the South African
:11:12. > :11:17.regime and now that regime is done. We are against the Zionist
:11:17. > :11:24.mentality. This has disappear because this is not tolerated by
:11:24. > :11:34.not only around. All over the world at against the Zionist mentality.
:11:34. > :11:38.Let's move on. Add the issue is where that Iran has, or has ever
:11:38. > :11:44.pursued, a nuclear weapons programme. Increasingly severe
:11:44. > :11:50.sanctions have been imposed on Iran as countries remain am convinced by
:11:50. > :11:55.Iran's arguments. David Cameron's Under-Secretary for intelligence
:11:55. > :11:59.said a few days ago that if there was no breakthrough in the Moscow
:11:59. > :12:05.talks this month's there is no question that we will continue to
:12:05. > :12:14.ratchet up the pressure. Bets are blind what the pressure will be:
:12:14. > :12:23.The US will cut of orang mac's oil revenues. There will be an oil
:12:23. > :12:28.embargo as of the 1st July. Let me be clear and go want to put on
:12:28. > :12:33.record and the whole world should listen to any. The decision-makers
:12:33. > :12:38.in the US and some European countries and not telling the truth.
:12:38. > :12:43.None of the sanctions have had any effect on nuclear activities
:12:43. > :12:48.because all the centrifuges are manufactured by our own
:12:48. > :12:57.manufacturers. We are not importing, therefore the sanctions have not
:12:57. > :13:04.had any effect. On the contrary, it has created determinations in the
:13:04. > :13:09.Iranian people and the government. The sanctions are not targeting the
:13:10. > :13:19.centrifuge machines, they are targeting the people of Iran. Air
:13:20. > :13:21.
:13:21. > :13:27.full colour they are not telling the truth. Be sanctions are biting.
:13:27. > :13:31.The incoming dinner at John Hopkins School of Advanced International
:13:31. > :13:37.Studies said there is no doubt that economic hardship is more
:13:37. > :13:40.pronounced and is hitting the Iranian middle class. Someone from
:13:40. > :13:47.the Centre for Strategic and International Studies said that the
:13:47. > :13:53.full impact has become clear this summer. Surely, Iran now really has
:13:53. > :14:00.to negotiate in Moscow. Please let me explain and ask a specific
:14:00. > :14:03.question. What is the intention of those imposing sanctions? Bar they
:14:03. > :14:08.intending to slow down our nuclear activities or forced us to suspend
:14:09. > :14:16.them? If this is the aim that they are always talking about, they are
:14:17. > :14:21.not telling the truth to the world. Because this has had no affect.
:14:21. > :14:31.This is increasing our determination and now we have
:14:31. > :14:31.
:14:31. > :14:36.enrichment technology. If they are putting in the sanctions to disturb
:14:36. > :14:42.that Iran and cause problems for the people, they should know they
:14:42. > :14:47.are creating among us Iranian people in the said the Western
:14:47. > :14:57.countries. Let's change the course of action from confrontation to a
:14:57. > :15:02.
:15:02. > :15:04.peaceful negotiated solution. That I A E A wants access to the
:15:04. > :15:14.military site because they have been alleged experiments that have
:15:14. > :15:18.no other purpose, it believes and sides many different documents, and
:15:18. > :15:23.developing nuclear weapons. You have dismissed this as the
:15:23. > :15:28.ridiculous and childish story. Then, why don't you open up the doors?
:15:28. > :15:33.You are very lucky talking to the source and the mouth of the course
:15:33. > :15:40.you are listing. I have been involved for the last ten years and
:15:40. > :15:43.accompanied the inspectors in 2005, twice. Our officials were so kind
:15:43. > :15:51.and committed agencies and inspectors to go wherever they
:15:51. > :15:55.wanted and they found nothing. sorry but that investigation at the
:15:55. > :16:05.time in 2005 did not include a particular building that the IAEA
:16:05. > :16:11.wants access to. Then that was their mistake. Let them now, then.
:16:11. > :16:15.OK. Are you saying you will? just a moment. The matter is very
:16:15. > :16:20.simple. In 30 seconds, I will answer your question. We have said
:16:20. > :16:24.there is a specific investigation, nothing to do with the normal
:16:24. > :16:28.routine investigation under the treaty. We have to negotiate and
:16:28. > :16:37.have a framework for it. We are discussing it. When the framework
:16:37. > :16:43.is agreed upon, the inspectors and our experts would start their work.
:16:43. > :16:48.And therefore we are prepared to remove any ambiguities about the
:16:48. > :16:52.report of November, including any other issues they have raised. But
:16:52. > :16:57.they must put once on the table forever and put an end to this
:16:57. > :17:01.process and they have to deliver the documents about these
:17:01. > :17:05.allegations. These are the expectations from our side. I have
:17:05. > :17:10.to say that we have had good progress. We are on the right track.
:17:10. > :17:15.Let us not politicise this issue. Sooner or later, you will see these
:17:15. > :17:19.questions will be answered. With all due respect, you have been on
:17:19. > :17:23.HARDtalk many times and every time you say to have patience and you
:17:23. > :17:28.will see. So far, we have not seen anything. You have not left
:17:28. > :17:33.inspectors in and you say the documents are forgeries. That is
:17:33. > :17:39.something the IAEA denies. Moving on then to the meetings with the
:17:39. > :17:46.members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany, led by the EU. They
:17:46. > :17:55.have three requests to Iran. One - they want Iran to stop producing
:17:55. > :17:59.20% enriched uranium because it is close to the weapons. They want to
:17:59. > :18:05.stop the stockpiling and stop the underground in Richmond site near
:18:05. > :18:12.the holy city. They have offered Iran something in exchange for that
:18:12. > :18:16.and you have said no. Why? -- the end Richmond site. First of all, we
:18:16. > :18:21.have said we are committed and expect other parties to be
:18:21. > :18:26.committed to what was agreed upon in Istanbul. It means a step-by-
:18:26. > :18:31.step reciprocal action based on NPT. If there is any expectation for us
:18:31. > :18:35.to take steps beyond the NPT, then we have to know what is the
:18:35. > :18:39.reciprocal action. Which step they will take which will be the
:18:39. > :18:49.equivalent to that step. But they have said... They have said that
:18:49. > :18:50.
:18:50. > :18:55.Iran will receive safety advice, a reactor, they can buy spare parts
:18:55. > :19:00.for civilian airlines. I want you to judge, I want you and your
:19:00. > :19:04.distinguished the viewers to judge, is the spare part of the passenger
:19:05. > :19:10.airplane equivalent to suspension of enrichment after ten years of
:19:10. > :19:14.hardships, sanctions, the threat of attacks, cyber attacks? This is not
:19:14. > :19:19.the equivalent. We do not need spare parts to the extent that we
:19:19. > :19:23.will suspend such activities, which is the national pride and the
:19:23. > :19:27.country has paid a lot for it. But they also said they have to give
:19:27. > :19:34.fuel. They should have given fuel when I was negotiating with them.
:19:34. > :19:44.Now, we are making our own fuel reactors. Therefore, I am
:19:44. > :19:46.
:19:46. > :19:51.concluding, ten seconds, the best thing is to recognise, as is their
:19:51. > :19:54.right, the right of our enrichment for peaceful purposes. That will
:19:54. > :19:57.pave the way for mutual understanding and better
:19:57. > :20:03.understanding and I am optimistic that then many of these issues will
:20:03. > :20:09.be resolved and we can discuss in Moscow. One policy chief says that
:20:09. > :20:12.sanctions are not an end in themselves. She says the EU wants a
:20:12. > :20:18.solution that enabled everybody to have confidence in the civilian
:20:18. > :20:26.nature of Iran's nuclear programme, which used says it has. But the
:20:26. > :20:31.international community has serious concerns. Until 2012, D I H E A's
:20:31. > :20:36.head of safeguarding says Iran would likely have a stockpile of
:20:36. > :20:39.more than 250 kilograms of uranium were five to 20% by the end of the
:20:39. > :20:43.year and Iran could turn that stocking too highly enriched con --
:20:43. > :20:48.components of a nuclear weapon in a couple of months. I can keep giving
:20:48. > :20:51.you quotes like that. But there are real concerns on behalf of the
:20:51. > :20:55.international community that Iran is not telling the truth and that
:20:55. > :21:00.it does not have only the aim for a civilian nuclear programme. You
:21:00. > :21:04.have not been able to convince them otherwise. Please, I respect you
:21:04. > :21:10.again, do not consider a couple of countries as the international
:21:10. > :21:16.community. Secondly, every gram of Iranian and all of the machines are
:21:16. > :21:26.under the 24 hours cameras of the IAEA. The third point, the 20% in
:21:26. > :21:31.Richmond is for the reactors which use up to 20% fuel. I was the
:21:31. > :21:39.research centre director about 30 years back and we were bedding and
:21:39. > :21:44.asking for this fuel and nobody gave us the fuel. America received
:21:44. > :21:49.$2 million and neither gave us the money or the fuel. Finally, we got
:21:49. > :21:57.the fuel from Argentina. This time, the US, Russia and others did not
:21:57. > :22:02.give us fuel. Therefore, that material and fuel, produced, is
:22:02. > :22:06.nothing to worry about. There are countries that are very worried
:22:06. > :22:11.that the nuclear programme is going underground. But I would like to,
:22:11. > :22:17.coming to the end, go back to something you said about the IAEA
:22:17. > :22:23.and questions about this not becoming politicised. What evidence
:22:23. > :22:30.do you have of the politicisation of the IAEA? You have made that
:22:30. > :22:36.accusation repeatedly in recent weeks. That is a good point. Why we
:22:36. > :22:41.were talking about the modality and Framework for how to deal with this
:22:41. > :22:47.question, the issue was highlighted in a way that something was going
:22:47. > :22:52.on without giving any evidence. They said they were involved in
:22:52. > :23:00.nuclear weapons but we have not seen any documents delivered.
:23:00. > :23:08.they delivered 1,000 pages of documents. You have accused the
:23:09. > :23:12.IAEA of being manipulated by Western powers. Yes! Being behind
:23:12. > :23:16.scientists in Iran that have been associated with the nuclear
:23:16. > :23:23.programme. That is a severe allegation for a United Nations
:23:23. > :23:28.body. No, I said it in my last week as governor. We blamed the number
:23:28. > :23:34.of states, particularly the board of governors and those few
:23:34. > :23:38.countries which are manipulating the agency. Yes. When the
:23:38. > :23:46.inspectors talk to our friends and their names appear in the sanctions
:23:46. > :23:53.are the EU and the sign to us -- ciders treated as terrorists, this
:23:53. > :23:57.is humiliation to them. -- scientists. There has to be mutual
:23:57. > :24:02.trust and they have to stop this process. Those countries creating
:24:02. > :24:07.this problem for the secretariat and for Iran are responsible and