No enriched uranium exchange: Iran's MP

Member of Parliament Alaeddin Boroujerdi

A senior Iranian parliamentarian says Iran will not exchange its domestically manufactured low-enriched uranium with the West to resupply the Tehran research reactor (TRR).

The Chief of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, told the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) on Saturday: “giving the 3.5 percent enriched uranium to receive 20 percent enriched fuel for Tehran’s research reactor, whether gradually or all at once, is called off.”

Boroujerdi went on to say that Iran and nuclear fuel supplier countries must find an alternative way to provide Tehran’s research reactor with fuel. “Presently, Mr. Soltanieh is in talks to find an approach for the issue.”

In addition, responding to remarks made by some Western officials that a response to the IAEA brokered deal as it now stands is required in two days time, Boroujerdi responded that the West cannot impose a deadline on Iran.

On Friday Iran said it is preparing to give more details on its response to the international proposals for supplying nuclear fuel and expects more negotiations.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tehran would give the additional details to the IAEA following the initial response it gave on October 29.

"We have some more details which we have to give to the International Atomic Energy Agency," state television quoted Mottaki on its website as saying.

"We have three options -- enrich the fuel ourselves, buy it directly or exchange our uranium for fuel," he said.

"They (the IAEA and the major powers) have to choose from these options. Given the need of Iran to have the fuel, my view is that they will accept another round of discussions."

Qom nuclear site: 'It's a hole in a mountain'

According to IAEA chief Mohamded El-Baradei, UN inspectors found “nothing to be worried about” in a first look at a recently disclosed pilot uranium enrichment site in Iran last month.

El-Baradei was quoted in a New York Times interview as saying his inspectors’ initial findings at the fortified site beneath a desert mountain near the city of Qom were “nothing to be worried about.” “The idea was to use it as a bunker under the mountain to protect things,” El-Baradei, alluding to Tehran’s references to the site as a fallback for its nuclear program in case its larger Natanz enrichment plant were bombed by the United States or Israel.

“It’s a hole in a mountain,” he said.

Details of the inspection are expected to be included in the next IAEA report on Iran’s nuclear activity due in mid-November.

Gareth Porter has recently written that US threats and regional military posturing prompted Iran to initiate construction of a fortified nuclear facility at Qom. Porter's article contains a timeline with evidence (some taken from unpublicized details of the 2007 NIE), telling a different story from the West's contention that construction of a second enrichment facility began before Tehran's decision to withdraw from a previous agreement to inform the IAEA in advance of such construction. Read the entire article here.

4 November: Day of Protests

Green Movement (anti-government) protestors in Tehran. NYT Photo

Pro-government demonstrators marking 30th anniversary of US embassy takeover. Holding Khomeini and Khamenei pictures. NYT Photo

Green Movement (anti-government) protestors in Tehran. Holding Mousavi and Khatami pictures. NYT Photo

Law Enforcement on 13 Aban - Video Analysis

by Mark Pyruz

Note: in this post, the categorization of the 13 Aban counter-demonstrations as an "unlawful assembly" is not intended in any way as a political statement. Rather it is used purely in its legal definition for which it is acted upon by Iranian law enforcement agencies.

In the few video clips and photos available from the (unlawful) Iranian counter-demonstrations of 13 Aban, Islamic Republic of Iran Police Force (IRIPF) and Basij personnel do not appear equipped with firearms. The emphasis appears to be on crowd dispersal (and in sporadic incidents, intimidation), rather than mass arrest operations. IRIPF do not engage in "caging" operations, nor do they deploy their water canon assets or rubber bullet ammunition (which are typically seen in comparative Western applications of crowd control). Below are notes accompanying uploaded video of Iranian law enforcement operations during 13 Aban:


Motorized IRIPF in action. Note "POLICE" black uniforms. One green uniformed IRIPF policeman is visible as a passenger on board a motorbike. Dispersal efforts appear to be the rule, rather than mass arrest.


Green uniformed IRIPF security detachment in antiriot gear. At approximately 2:04, the security police charge, successfully dispersing the unlawful assembly. After the demonstrators are forced back and dispersed, the security officers in this video do not appear overly aggressive, nor do arrest operations seem to be taking place.


Motorized IRIPF member outfitted in Iranian-equivalent DCU, tactical vest and conventional full-face motorcycle helmet. Female demonstrator is struck on the legs, ordered to change direction and disperse. This specific application of force (which may or may not be prescribed by IRIPF policy) appears to be inflicted as a means of corporal intimidation. Noteworthy is the fact she's not taken into custody.


At 0:22 an IRIPF first lieutenant (Sotvan yekom ستوان يكم) equipped with a baton strikes a female demonstrator in the head. Clear evidence of a breakdown in law enforcement discipline.

So far, the opposition website Mowjcamp claims that 23 people were arrested in Tehran and Rasht, which is a relatively low number for disturbances of this type. To put this into perspective, during the recent 2008 anti-G8 protest in Rostock, Germany, there were roughly 140 arrests, with 500 injured protesters and 400 injured policemen. Also, during the 2003 antiwar demonstrations in San Francisco, no less than 2,150 protesters were arrested. Admittedly, it is hard to gauge the overall proportionality of these three cases of civil disobedience.

Update: Fars and Mehr News Agency are reporting the Commander of Tehran police now states there were a total of 109 arrests, of which 43 have made bail and the rest remain detained.

Obama, Obama: You’re either with them or with us!

Pro-Green anti-government protestors chanting a new slogan during their demonstration in Iran today, asking President Obama to support their cause:
Obama, Obama: Ya Ba Ona Yi, Ya Ba Ma ("Obama, Obama: You're either with them or with us").

Tehran Protests

Police used teargas and batons to disperse large anti-government protests in Tehran today. The demonstrations, staged by pro-Green movement activists on the streets of Tehran, coincided with pro-government rallies marking the 30th anniversary of the takeover of US embassy in Tehran.

The anti-government protestors were chanting “Death to Dictator” and other Green slogans. There are reports of injuries in Tehran. Anti-government protests are also underway in Shiraz, Ahvaz and other major cities in the country.

Khamenei: Harsh Comments on the Eve of 30th Anniversary of US Embassy Takeover

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in harshest comments he has made against the Obama administration all but closed the possibility of any serious reproachmont with the US.

“The new U.S. president has said nice things,” Khamenei said. “He has given us many spoken and written messages and said, 'Let's turn the page and create a new situation. Let's cooperate with each other in resolving world problems.'” But "whenever they [US officials] smile at the officials of the Islamic revolution, when we carefully look at the situation we notice that they are hiding a dagger behind their back," Khamenei said. "They have not changed their intentions [toward Iran]."

In reference to the Vienna nuclear talks, Khamenei's comments were as negative.

"Negotiations in which the U.S. predetermines the result are like the relationship between a wolf and a lamb," Khamenei said. "We do not want this."

Ayatollah Khamenei made these remarks in a ceremony held in Tehran today to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the takeover of the US embassy in Tehran and taking US diplomats and staff hostage for 444 days. The takeover and hostage taking was strongly supported by then-Supreme Leader the late Ayatollah Khomeini. The move also led to the downfall of the moderate Bazargan government in Tehran and the eventual takeover of the state institutions by the Islamic militants.

Now the leader's circle of trust has been so narrowed that does not even include the prime minister of the eight-year imposed war with Iraq (Mousavi), former presidents of the Islamic Republic (Khatami and Rafsanjani) and a former speaker of the house (Karrubi). Today, Ayatollah Khamenei was commemorating the start of that process three decades ago.

Khamenei May Reject Nuclear Deal

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in Tehran today that Iran will reject the nuclear fuel deal if its result is “pre-determined” by the United States. Khamenei’s statement was a further indication that the Iranian government is leaning toward rejecting the proposed deal worked out in Vienna between Iran’s representative and those of major powers.

Iran Not Ready to Approve Nuclear Deal – Despite Russian Pressure

Iran is seeking changes in the proposed nuclear deal worked out in Vienna earlier this month. The Iranian representative to the Vienna talks had tentatively agreed to ship much of the country’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia and France for reprocessing to higher-grade fuel required for Tehran’s research reactor. The government now wants to directly purchase the higher-grade fuel without shipping its LEU abroad.

Meanwhile, Britain and Russia demanded that Iran give a prompt response to the proposed deal. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told reporters during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow today that both countries want to see a “prompt response” from Iran regarding Tehran’s research reactor.

Russia’s Lavrov went a step further and said Moscow was counting on Tehran to approve the Vienna deal.

“This meeting ended in Vienna with an agreement… which we are counting on all the participants, without exceptions, to approve, including Iran,” Lavrov said [AFP, 2 November].

Tehran’s final approval of a deal tentatively agreed upon by its own representative in Vienna has come under attack inside Iran by influential conservative politicians, including Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani. The attack from the right has created a no-win situation for Ahmadeinejad’s government. If it rejects the agreement they would run the risk of alienating Russia, their only true ally among the major powers. The rejection would also dim any immediate hope for grand bargain-type reconciliation with the Obama administration.

Khamenie is believed to oppose any serious reproachmont with the US. As a result, the conservative politicians do not believe Vienna’s nuclear agreement is vital for Iran. They rather continue playing the nuclear card by keeping the stockpile of LEU in Iran, with implications for the country’s ability to build a nuclear weapon in short order.

Bassidji: A New Film by Mehran Tamadon

Bassidji: Inside the Iranian Regime is a new film by Mehran Tamadon. Its subject is Iran's Basij paramilitary force. Click here to visit the film's official website, which contains two short preview clips.

H/T the Pedestrian blog.

Iran: One Cool Nuclear Negotiator

by Mark Pyruz

There is a mistaken impression in the West that Iran perceives itself the focus of an international demand to relinquish the majority of its low-enriched uranium, in order to prevent its imminent manufacturing of a nuclear weapon. For their part, the Iranian perspective is completely different.

Contrary to Western perceptions, the current deal put forward by the E3+3/P5+1 is not the initial proposal for refueling the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). That initial proposal was publicly put forward last September in New York by President Ahmadinejad, where he offered to purchase medium enriched uranium from existing nuclear fuel suppliers (including the United States). Subsequently, at the Geneva 2 talks, the West and Russia provided a counter-proposal that Iran ship 1200 kilograms of its LEU to Russia by January 15, to be converted to medium-enriched uranium, whereupon France would fashion the product into fuel rods for shipment back to Iran. This complicated arrangement was explored "in principle" in Geneva and later worked on still further in subsequent talks held in Vienna. At the conclusion of those talks, a target date for a decision by all powers present was put forward by ElBaradei for the following Friday. However, the Iranians understood this date as a time frame, and surely anything but a demand. Throughout all of this, it's important to realize that Iran is not looking at this process in terms of diplomatic demand. Rather, it views this as an ongoing negotiation process being managed by the IAEA.

This nuclear proposal has since been formally introduced to Iran's decision makers. Predictably, there are quite a few who find the offer highly dubious. For starters, there is a very poor track record for both France and Russia, in regards to these two countries living up to their word in previous nuclear agreements with Iran. Thirty years ago Iran put up more than $1 billion dollars to help build a French nuclear reactor in return for access to that reactor's fuel. To date, the French have never delivered any amount of fuel- not one iota. Likewise, roughly fifteen years ago Iran signed a contract with a Russian firm to complete the Bushehr nuclear facility. What's transpired since then is an endless stream of broken promises, missed schedules and arbitrary work stoppages. To this day, Bushehr remains less than fully operational. These are the two partners Iran is expected to do business with in this proposed nuclear deal. In addition to this, there are legitimate concerns that while Iran's LEU stock is away, in further nuclear negotiations down the road, the West may try to leverage its returned fuel by imposing additional conditions for its release.

Details are sketchy of Iran's decision making, but we can make out three Iranian nuclear proposals (to the West's one) put forward in this ongoing negotiation process:

1) Iran offers to purchase the nuclear fuel required for TRR from an existing supplier.
2) Iran offers to further enrich its own LEU stock into fuel stock inside Iran for TRR, under the strict technical supervision of the IAEA (a benefit stipulated under the terms of the NPT), possibly in partnership with another country.
3) Iran may be offering to accept the current deal offered by the West with some modifications, such as transferring its LEU stock in installments. Also, Iran may yet accept the current deal as it now stands.

It's interesting to note that at this point in time, certain Western officials and media outlets are depicting this ongoing negotiation process in a dire and negative light; while in stark contrast, President Ahmadinejad publicly praises the effort. Right now, the ball seems somewhere near mid-court. One thing appears likely: it will not be the Iranians that decide to break off negotiations, if that's how this ultimately plays out.

One item of significance which seems absent from Iran's internal public debate is any talk of rejecting further negotiation based on the recent Jundallah terrorist attack in southeastern Iran. Iran maintains substantiated claims of Western support for Jundallah (see here and here), yet the Iranians haven't so much as missed a beat in their continued engagement with the nuclear negotiation process. Just imagine for a second if the United States, France or the United Kingdom had suffered a terrorist attack with any sort of linkage back to the Islamic Republic of Iran; how that would have affected the nuclear talks! Nor did the Iranians wilt under the West's bombastic assertions over its disclosure of the Qom pilot enrichment facility.

No, the West is being shown that it faces a cool yet reserved negotiator. It's not in the West's interest to attempt negotiations in bad faith or to critically overestimate the amount of leverage it has over Iran. For Iran may not need this deal as much as the West thinks it does, while Iran retains the option of the status quo.

Acknowledgments to Arnold Evans, Muhammad Sahimi and Mahan Abedin

Tehran Not to Sign Nuclear Agreement

Western diplomats in Vienna are reporting that Tehran has refused to sign off on the nuclear deal that was worked out two weeks ago in Vienna between Iran’s representative and the major powers. The agreement would have transferred most of Iranian stockpile of low enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia and France for further enrichment required for a Tehran research reactor. Tehran is instead proposing to enrich the material domestically under IAEA supervision.

Iran War Art - Part 3

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Iran War Art - Part 2

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Iran War Art - Part 1

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Bolton: Iran will never give up nukes

Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN John Bolton has stated today that diplomacy with Iran has failed and other options should be looked at, namely a pre-emptive Israeli strike.

Iran Seeks Changes in Nuke Deal

Alaeddin Borujerdi, chairman of the national security and foreign policy committee of Iranian Majlis, told reporters today in Tehran that Iran will not hand over its low-grade enriched uranium to Russia in one batch as proposed.

"We provide part of 3.5 percent enriched uranium to the party in the deal and once we receive the 20 percent, we give another batch of 3.5 percent," Borujerdi said, referring to Iran’s stockpile of 3.5% LEU to be shipped abroad for reprocessing to 20% grade required for a Tehran research reactor.

"In other words not all the fuel will be handed over in one batch." [ILNA, 27 October].

The IAEA-drafted deal calls for Tehran to hand over 1,200 kilos of its LEU. Iran reported inventory of LEU is estimated at 1,500 kilos.

Foreign Involvement in Bombing- Gen. Jazayeri

Brig. Gen Seyyed Massoud Jazayeri, deputy chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, said today in Tehran that US, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were involved in last week’s bombing in the border region of Pishin in Iranian Baluchistan.

"The recent terrorist activities in Sistan-Baluchestan were conducted with the help of the Americans, the British, an Arab country and one of our eastern neighbors. We are well aware of such matters and necessary counter-measures will definitely be taken in response to such acts," Gen. Jazayeri said [IRNA, 25 October].

"Terrorist activities particularly in borderline regions, threats and psychological warfare, soft war and even certain military measures in border regions are attempts at replacing unity with discord in our country," Jazayeri continued.

The militant Iranian Sunni group Jundallah has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

IAEA Inspectors to Arrive in Tehran

IAEA inspectors are scheduled to arrive in Tehran later tonight. They will inspect a newly disclosed nuclear facility near the city of Qom.

The three-day visit comes after Iran said Friday that it needs more time to decide whether to sign onto a deal with the major powers to sent most of its stockpile of low-grade enriched uranium to Russia and France.

Iran informed IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei that it is "considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs until the middle of next week to provide a response," according to an IAEA statement published yesterday.

The revelation of the construction of Qum facility surprised the international community. Tehran was under UN sanctions to stop its uranium enrichment activities in Natanz. Now the Qum facility was being set up to expand the enrichment activities.

“It is important for us to send out inspectors to do comprehensive verification ... to assure ourselves that it [Qum facility] is fit for peaceful purposes,” ElBaradei said [CNN, 24 October].

The Suicide Bomber, 22-Year Old Baluchi

An official in Iran's Sistan-Baluchistan province has identified the suicide bomber in Sunday’s attack in the Baluchi town of Sarbaz as a 22-year old Iranian citizen named Abdulwahed Mohammadizadeh.

Jalal Sayah, Baluchistan’s deputy governor for security, has told IRNA, the official Iranian news agency, that Mohammadizadeh travelled to Pakistan four months ago to receive his training at a Riggi (Jundallah) camp before returning to Iran to blow himself up, killing 41 people, including a senior IRGC commander, and injuring more than 50 others.

Mohammadizadeh was born in 1987 in Baluchistan. According to government records, he had been arrested in 2001 and 2002, on charges of fraud and assault, and had spent time in prison.

Iran to Sign the Nuclear Deal – Russia

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today in Moscow that Russia expects Iran to "confirm” its acceptance of the nuclear deal reached earlier this week in Vienna.

“Russia expects Iran [and the other countries involved] to confirm their acceptance of the project," Lavrov said (AP, 23 October).

The agreement calls for shipping most of Iran's uranium to Russia and France for enrichment to a level that renders it useful as fuel for Tehran’s research nuclear reactor.

The agreement, when implemented, would prevent Iran to use its stockpile of enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon. Iran says that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

UPDATE: State-run Press TV is reporting that Tehran will announce its final decision on the deal next week.

"Iran informed IAEA Director-General today that it is considering the proposal in depth and in a favorable light, but it needs time until the middle of next week to provide a response," read a statement by IAEA released on Friday. "The Director General hopes that Iran's response will equally be positive, since approval of this agreement will signal a new era of cooperation." [Press TV, 23 October]