'Iran won't negotiate with nations sanctioning it'

MP chairing Iran's Foreign Policy Commission says removing sanctions a condition for resuming negotiations on nukes.

By JPOST.COM STAFF, REUTERS
Iran MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi)
Iran MP Alaeddin Boroujerdi 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi)
Tehran will not negotiate the halting of its nuclear program with the countries that imposed sanctions on it, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency quoted an Iranian MP as saying on Wednesday.
"We will not negotiate with the westerners in those states which have embargoed us," Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission said.
The Iranian lawmaker said the removal of sanctions against the Islamic Republic is a requirement for resuming talks.
"If such an approach is considered as the basis (of talks) then we will be able to come close to an understanding," he said.
He added that "The P5+1 should use past experiences and act upon them, because they will not obtain result if they don't act pragmatically."
World powers seeking to resolve a decade-old dispute over Iran's atomic activity and avert the threat of a new Middle East war had closely watched the IAEA-Iran talks for any indication of Iranian readiness to finally start addressing their concerns.
Diplomats say they hope talks with Iran can resume in January, but are waiting for an answer from Tehran.
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
Meanwhile, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources minister said on Wednesday that Turkey will continue buying oil from Iran, Iranian news agency IRNA reported.
“Under any circumstances we will continue purchasing crude oil from Iran like in the past," IRNA quoted Taner Tildiz as saying.
Yildiz also confirmed Wednesday that Turkish company TUPRAS continues to import crude from Iran, according to AFP.
In June, the US exempted Turkey and six other countries from its sanctions against Tehran's oil sector for six months, after significantly reducing their crude oil imports from Iran.
On December 7, the US extended to nine countries an exemption from sanctions designed to choke Iran's oil exports, including Turkey.
Yildiz added that the US did not make new demands from Ankara to reduce the amount of oil it imports from Tehran, according to IRNA.
Iran is refining uranium to a fissile concentration of 20 percent, which Western experts say is a relatively short technical step from the level that would be required for bombs. Iran says it needs this higher-grade uranium to run its medical research reactor in Tehran.
Earlier this month, both the US and the EU have placed harsher sanctions on Tehran.
The EU measures include bans on financial transactions, sales to Iran of shipping equipment and steel, and imports of Iranian natural gas, adding to earlier bans, including on the OPEC producer's oil.
The new US sanctions that are set to take effect in February will prevent states from moving money used to buy oil outside of the purchasing country so it cannot be transferred to Iran. These funds can also only be used for non-sanctioned, bilateral trade between that country and the Islamic Republic.