LATEST: Larijani — Iran Willing to GIve Up Some 20% Enriched Uranium

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SUMMARY: In the category of We’ve Been Here Before, Iran has restated its core proposals for a nuclear agreement with the US and other powers. Western diplomats have told reporters, including Barbara Slavin of Al Monitor:

Iranian officials in New York for UN meetings over the past two weeks have told the Americans that they are willing to offer significant concessions in Geneva on Oct. 15-16, but need to know “the endgame” before taking the first steps.

European diplomats have told Al-Monitor that the P5+1 [5+1 Powers] are still debating how to respond to various possible initial Iranian concessions.

The crux of a deal is likely to be international acknowledgement that Iran can continue enriching uranium at a low level under stringent conditions. In the short term, Iranians appear to be expecting US President Barack Obama to waive or slow implementation of some punishing sanctions in return for curbing or suspending key elements of their nuclear program; at the end, they envision removal of all nuclear-related penalties on Iran’s oil exports and international financial transactions in exchange for permanent limits on the program and enhanced international monitoring.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a “former Western diplomat”, has a similar story.

There is nothing new in this Iranian position — it is roughly the same as the fundamental points set out in June 2012.

The question remains: will the US Government finally recognize an Iranian right to enrich uranium to a level of 5%, in return for an agreed system of inspections and supervision and for Tehran’s halt to 20% enrichment? Is the Obama Administration willing — or politically able — to lift sanctions?

And now the hint of a second question, given that European diplomats told Slavin of the deliberations among the 5+1 Powers: will America’s allies — Britain, Germany, and France — put pressure on the US to shift its position and meet the Iranian conditions?

Latest Updates, Most Recent First

Larijani: Iran Willing to GIve Up Some 20% Enriched Uranium

Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has told the Associated Press than Iran has more 20% enriched uranium than it needs for its research and is willing to discuss the “surplus” with the 5+1 Powers during nuclear talks in Geneva next week.

Since summer 2012, Iran has converted half of the 20% uranium into oxide powder, which cannot be used to make weapons-grade fuel.

“We have some surplus, you know, the amount that we don’t need. But over that we can have some discussions,” Larijani said.

The Speaker said Iran had produced the 20% uranium because the IAEA would not provide it, and insisted it needs the material only for research and isotopes for medical treatments rather than nuclear weapons.

Larijani acknowledged Iranian hard-liners are “a little bit pessimistic” and “suspicious” about the nuclear talks”, putting pressure on the Government. However, “we do support Mr. Rouhani. And God willing, he will have the Parliament’s support,” the Speaker added.

Culture Minister: Iranian Censors Would Not Have Allowed Qur’an to be Published

Culture Minister Ali Jannati has said the Islamic Republic’s system of censorship is too strict:

If the Koran hadn’t been sent by God and we had handed it to book censors, they wouldn’t have issued permission to publish it and would have argued that some of the words in it are against public virtue.

Jannati said, under the administration of former President Ahmadinejad, some of the titles blocked were because censors had objected to “irrelevant” issues, because they had made decisions based on personal opinions, and because reviewers lacked necessary expertise.

The Minister hedged his comments by also saying that censorship will continue, with the Government acting in accordance with rulings made by the Supreme National Security Council and Parliament:
“How can we allow some problematic books poison the society.”

Zarif: I Checked Into Hospital After Being Misquoted Over Rouhani-Obama Phone Call

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on his Facebook page that he checked himself into hospital because of back pain and spasms after being mis-quotedby an MP and the hard-line newspaper Keyhan.

The outlets claimed that Zarif said President Rouhani’s historic phone call with Barack Obama last month was “inappropriate”.

Zarif wrote of his critics, “It is interesting that those who claim loyalty to the Supreme Leader are moving ahead of the leadership. Doesn’t it occur to them that if he wanted, he would have made his position more clear?”

Blogger Mehdi Khazali Given 6-Year Sentence

Prominent blogger and physician Mehdi Khazali has been given a six-year sentence for propaganda against the regime and actions against national security.

Khazali, the son of a well-known Ayatollah, has been repeatedly detained since the disputed Presidential election of June 2009. He has been on several protracted hunger strikes during his time in prison.

Head of Basij: “We Are in New Economic War”

The head of the Basij militia, Mohammad Reza Naqdi, has declared, “Today we are in a new battle with the enemy, which after their failure to fracture Iran in the security, military, political, and cultural arenas, has become an economic war.”

Naqdi upheld the Supreme Leader’s proclamation of a “resistance economy” as Iran enters talks on its nuclear program with the US and other powers:

If there is no creation of internal strength, there will likewise be no success in negotiations. Therefore, our primary focus must be on the internal strength of the system.

Journalists Faghihi and Asgari Released

Mostafa Faghihi, the managing editor of Entekhab, has been released on bail after his arrest earlier this week.

Journalist and student activist Ahmad Asgari has also been freed after almost four months behind bars.