Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- Iranian embassy in London in an open letter published on January 12, has protested at the western countries’ wrong and unfair treatment of Iran’s nuclear issue.
The text, which criticizes the West for reprimanding Iran instead of rewarding it after Tehran rendered long and extensive assistance to the western countries, defends Iran’s nuclear rights and responds to the suspicions raised over its activities in the field of nuclear technology.
The following is a full text of the same letter, a copy of which has been faxed to FNA.
Your recent articles on US attempts to put pressure on Iran’s nuclear activities neglect one central fact. Measures such as last month’s United Nations Security Council resolution, which has been championed by Washington, are deeply unfair.
Iran is a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and as such has an inalienable right to the lawful use of nuclear energy. Yet, it is facing an unprecedented hue and cry over its nuclear program, while Israel, a wholly non-accountable nuclear power, has the full support of the US administration.
Bear in mind that Iran has never attacked or threatened to use force against any United Nations member state. Iran gave the west assistance in removing the threat of Taliban terrorism in Afghanistan. It condemned Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. But, instead of being rewarded for taking such sensible stances, Iran faces a reprimand – one that is wholly undeserved.
Sadly, the injustice of Security Council resolution 1737 is nothing new for Iran. Ours is a great country and rich civilization that has had to overcome many historic injustices during the past six decades.
In the 1950s, after Iran nationalized the oil industry, the response was a military coup organized by two permanent Security Council members. In the 1980s western powers failed even to call for Saddam Hussein’s invading forces to withdraw from Iranian territory.
The architects of the recent Security Council resolution turned a blind eye to the extensive use of chemical weapons against Iranian civilians and soldiers. Tens of thousands of Iranians continue to suffer and perish as a result.
In that light, it is clear that the decision to subject Iran’s peaceful nuclear program to Security Council measures will not encourage negotiations or provide any kind of solution. It is not intended to. Instead, it will only set a most unwelcome precedence: to deny countries their basic right to use technology to provide clean sources of energy.
But diplomacy has not been completely put to the test. Iran has consistently called for unconditional negotiations that would proceed for a limited period of time.
By contrast with the US’s heavy-handed tactics, such an approach would deal with some countries’ concerns, while securing others’ legitimate rights.
