TEHRAN (FNA)- The remarks by US Secretary of State John Kerry against Irans right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes damage the spirit of the Geneva deal signed between Tehran and the world powers late November, a senior Iranian legislator warned on Sunday.Asked by the US ABC news channel about Irans right to enrich uranium, Kerry said, No, there is no right to enrich. We do not recognize a right to enrich. They have the ability to negotiate it, but they could only gain that capacity to have some enrichment, as some countries do, if they live up to the whole set of terms necessary to prove its a peaceful program. So, Iran has some very stiff hurdles that they are going to have to meet in order to do that. There is no right and no right granted in this agreement.
He underlined some scenarios where Iran could negotiate a very limited, completely verifiable, extraordinarily constrained enrichment program for research and energy production.
In response, member of the Iranian parliaments National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Nozar Shafiyee condemned Kerrys comments, and said, The American officials remarks that they dont recognize enrichment in Iran are only meant for propaganda since enrichment to the level of 5% in Iran is accepted by the officials of the US and other Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France and Britain plus Germany) member.
He told the parliaments news website that the spirit of the Geneva agreement between Tehran and the world powers stresses that Iran can continue enrichment, "otherwise, there was no need for any discussion and debate over an agreement".
Shafiyee criticized the US officials for their negative remarks after the Geneva deal, and said all members of the G5+1 should be optimistic about the implementation of the agreement, otherwise everything will return to the zero point and everything will prove to have been only a waste of time.
On November 24, Iran and the Group 5+1 sealed the six-month Joint Plan of Action to lay the groundwork for the full resolution of the Wests decade-old dispute with Iran over its nuclear energy program.
After endorsing the agreement with the world powers, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that the G5+1 has recognized Irans enrichment program.
He pointed to the agreement reached between Iran and the G5+1, and said, Todays agreement deals with several sectors, the most important of which is that Irans enrichment program has been recognized, and this program will continue.
Zarif underlined that the Iranian nation wants the opposite side to show respect for its rights, and said, We need to remove the historical lack of confidence and the West should also be able to win the Iranian nations confidence.
Zarif called on the West to discard its catch-phrase the military option is on the table, and said, The right to own nuclear energy is among the rights of all countries and the international rules approve of this right. Governments cannot threaten other countries only on the basis of their own decisions."
"Iran is entitled to make use of its rights, and other countries should not threaten it because of its pursuit of its rights.
He reiterated that other countries should avoid threatening Iran only because is demanding its rights, and said, We respect our rights and the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) members should know that they should not exert pressure on Iran and this agreement that has just been signed mentions that Iran is fully entitled to the right of enrichment right and it will never quit its rights in the future.
By Fars News Agency
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