Khamenei slams West’s ‘stupid’ missile stance before talks
Iran offers more transparency in nuclear dealings
DUBAI, May 11, (RTRS): Iran’s Supreme Leader described as “stupid and idiotic” Western expectations for his country to curb its missile development, striking a defiant tone ahead of a fresh round of nuclear talks.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to mass produce missiles and said the nuclear negotiations were not the place to discuss Tehran’s defence programme or to solve the problem of sanctions damaging the Iranian economy.
“They expect us to limit our missile programme while they constantly threaten Iran with military action,” Khamenei was quoted as telling the IRNA news agency while on a visit to an aeronautics fair held by the Revolutionary Guards.
“So this is a stupid, idiotic expectation ... The revolutionary guards should definitely carry out their programme and not be satisfied with the present level. They should mass produce. This is a main duty of all military officials.”
Iran and the United States, France, Germany, Britain, China and Russia will reconvene in Vienna on Tuesday to try to iron out differences over how to end a long standoff over suspicions that Tehran has sought the means to develop nuclear weapons.
While missiles are not at the heart of the talks over Iran’s nuclear work, which centre on the production of fissile material usable in atomic bombs, Western countries would like them discussed at the nuclear discussions.
Iran has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East, viewing it as an essential precautionary defence against the United States and other adversaries such as Israel.
The United States and its allies fret that such missiles could potentially carry nuclear warheads.
The Islamic Republic denies accusations that it is seeking a capability to make nuclear weapons. It insists that the missiles are part of its conventional armed forces and rules out including them on the agenda of the nuclear discussions.
Khamenei’s comments appeared at odds with more conciliatory remarks earlier by President Hassan Rouhani, who said he wanted Iran to do a better job of explaining its nuclear programme to prevent “evil- minded” people misleading world opinion.
“What we can offer the world is greater transparency,” Rouhani said in a speech at a ceremony celebrating Iran’s scientific achievements.
Western powers have long demanded greater openness from Iran to address their concerns and head off a downward spiral towards a new Middle East war, with Israel threatening to attack its arch-foe if diplomacy does not succeed.
Rouhani is a relative moderate compared to his predecessor, conservative hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who used strident rhetoric during his eight years in office, serving to shore up international resolve to curb Iran’s nuclear programme.
Khamenei, who has the last word on all matters in Iran, has backed Rouhani’s cau- tious opening to the West and nuclear talks with world powers, but has also said he doubts the West is ready to bury what he sees as its hostility to Tehran.
On Sunday, he expressed further such misgivings.
“I have always been in favour of initiative and negotiation in foreign policy ... but one must not tie our country’s needs and issues like sanctions to the (nuclear) talks,” IRNA quoted Khamenei as saying. “Officials should tackle the sanctions issue in another way.”
Iran in January halted its most sensitive nuclear operations under a preliminary deal with world powers, winning some relief from painful economic sanctions that have damaged its oil-dependent economy by forcing a sharp reduction in crude exports.
Rouhani said Iran if it so chose could resume enrichment of uranium gas to a fissile purity of 20 percent - its most sensitive nuclear activity because it is a relatively short technical step away from the level required for nuclear weapons.
“We wanted to tell the world that our activities are moving in the right direction: If we say we can enrich to 3.5 percent, we can do it. If necessary we will do (it to) 20 percent,” he said.
Iran agreed under the Nov 24 deal to shelve enrichment to 20 percent. It has since diluted some of its 20 percentenriched stockpile to a lower concentration and converted some into an oxide less suited to processing into bomb-grade material. dormitory on April 14, and has threatened to sell them.
The incident has drawn worldwide outrage, including from US President Barack Obama.
First Lady Michelle Obama in a recorded message on Saturday condemned the kidnappings as “unconscionable.”
Israel offered Nigeria help on Sunday in locating 200 schoolgirls abducted last month by Islamist rebel group Boko Haram in an attack that has drawn global condemnation and prompted some Western powers to provide assistance.
“Israel expresses deep shock at the crime against the girls,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office quoted him as telling Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan by phone. “We are ready to help in finding the girls and fighting the cruel terrorism inflicted on you.”
The statement did not elaborate on how Israel might enlist in the search, with which British and US experts are also helping. Aspokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry said he knew of no cooperation efforts under way.
Israel has defence ties with Nigeria, and has provided it in the past with surveillance drones. Last September, Israel was among several countries that sent advisers to Kenya to assist in a stand-off with Islamist gunmen who attacked a mall in Nairobi.
Abducted
Islamic extremists blew up a bridge, killed an unknown number of people and abducted the wife and two children of a retired police officer in northeast Nigeria, residents said Saturday amid mounting condemnation by Muslims of the Nigerian terrorist network that abducted more than 300 schoolgirls nearly a month ago.
News of Friday night’s attack came as international efforts to help rescue the 276 girls still missing got under way.
A team of French experts arrived Saturday in Nigeria, said an official in President Francois Hollande’s office in Paris. He said they are expert in collecting intelligence from technical and human sources and in image analysis.
British security experts arrived Friday to join Nigerian and American forces, and Britain said its aim is not only to help in the crisis over the girls but to defeat Nigeria’s homegrown Boko Haram terrorist network.
International outrage at the prolonged failure of Nigeria’s military to rescue the girls was joined Saturday by US first lady Michelle Obama. In a radio address on the eve of the Sunday honoring mothers in the United States she said she and President Barack Obama are “outraged and heartbroken” over the April 15 mass abduction.
“In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters,” Mrs. Obama said, referring to Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12. “We see their hopes, their dreams and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now.”