IRAN:Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday said Tehran had no need for negotiations over its nuclear programme, indicating a lack of interest in the round of discussions between Iranian officials and Javier Solana, the European Union foreign policy chief.
Speaking hours before the new top nuclear negotiator, Saeid Jalili, held talks in Rome on UN demands for a suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment programme, which the negotiators and Mr Solana called constructive, Mr Ahmadinejad said: "We believe if you talk about your [ inalienable] rights, you will definitely lose part of them."
The president's statements, delivered before he was said to have cut short a visit to Armenia and returned to Tehran, came amid a political crisis at home that led at the weekend to the resignation of Ali Larijani, secretary of the supreme national security council, and his replacement with Mr Jalili, a close Ahmadinejad ally.
The move, seen as a consolidation of power by Mr Ahmadinejad, provoked a chorus of domestic criticism. Ali-Akbar Velayati, a senior foreign policy adviser to Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader, said: "It would have been definitely better if this had not happened in the existing negative international atmosphere," adding that officials should have practised "tolerance".
More than 180 members of the conservative-dominated parliament also released a statement yesterday thanking Mr Larijani for his "valuable efforts".
According to a former senior official, the talks with Mr Solana, who is representing world powers, are at the heart of a long-running dispute between Mr Larijani and Mr Ahmadinejad.
While Iran wants to continue its co-operation with the International Atomic Energy Agency the president has been opposed to talks with Mr Solana, since he has said Iran would never accept a suspension of uranium enrichment, as demanded by UN resolutions. "Ahmadinejad believes the nuclear file is 'closed' and there is no point to talk to Solana, while it is not clear who he is representing and what he is trying to do," said the official.
The first sign of opposition to EU talks emerged this month when, in an apparent reference to Mr Larijani, Iran's president attacked those who "on their own negotiate on the nuclear issue . . . but should know if they want to go for a new game, there will be no achievement but regret and disgrace for them".
Mr Larijani decided to resign after the speech but was asked by Mr Khamenei to stay on. He was expected to remain at least until Iran completes the so-called "work plan" - the deal with the IAEA whereby Tehran pledged to clear up outstanding questions about suspect behaviour in its nuclear file.
According to the former senior official, however, the resignation was speeded up after last week's visit by Russia's president Vladimir Putin.
While Mr Larijani hinted that Mr Putin had delivered a warning to Iran, Mr Ahmadinejad insisted on presenting the visit as a big victory for the Islamic republic.