The international community must accept Iran's civilian nuclear program
or incur "heavy losses," a senior Iranian lawmaker told the official
Islamic Republic News Agency on Sunday.
The international group tasked with negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, known as the P5+1, has accepted an Iranian offer to restart talks with Tehran.
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the
head of Iran's Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee,
said that the P5+1 must acknowledge Iran's achievements in its civilian nuclear program, including advances in nuclear energy production and medical technology.
Iran would not make concessions on its nuclear program, Boroujerdi said according to the report.
He advised the P5+1 to avoid
a "policy of confrontation" with Iran over its nuclear program, and
called on the United Nations Security Council to lift sanctions on the
Islamic Republic, which targeted Iranian assets, banned the supply of
nuclear-related materials to Iran, and imposed an arms embargo.
US President Barack Obama has warned that Iran must "seize this
opportunity of negotiations with the P5+1 to avert even worse consequences for
Iran in the future.”
Western nations have turned up the heat on Iran over its nuclear program, with EU regulators ordering SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication) to deny Iranian banks access to its system, delivering a serious blow to the Iranian import-export market.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, while the US and Israel have said that unless Tehran abandons its nuclear course, all options remain on the table.