Senior Iran cleric rejects deadline for nuclear response

AFP
Friday, July 25, 2008

Senior cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Friday rejected a deadline for Iran to respond to an offer by world powers aimed at resolving the continuing standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

“Now that negotiations are supposed to be held, why are you setting deadlines and giving ultimatums?” Rafsanjani asked in a Friday prayers sermon carried live on state radio.

“Iran is ready to go there and talk — say whatever you have to say there,” said the pragmatic former president who currently heads two of Iran’s top clerical and arbitration bodies in Iran.

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“Do not try to find fault. Be patient and let wise people sit down and talk to resolve this issue in the negotiations which have started,” Rafsanjani added, addressing world powers.

Iran is under a two-week deadline to give a final answer to world powers seeking a breakthrough in the nuclear crisis, after Saturday talks in Geneva with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana ended in stalemate.

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