Shayan Ghajar

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Iran’s reactions to recent sanctions legislation passed in the United States, as well as comments made by Western heads of state in the G-8, at a news conference June 28 in Tehran. In the speech, Ahmadinejad outlined Iran’s prerequisites for continued dialogue between the P5+1 of the United Nations Security Council and the Iranian government.

Ahmadinejad stated that Iran would resume dialogue only after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan had reached its halfway point, sometime in late August. According to the Iranian president, this would apparently be a measure intended to punish Western nations until they treat Iran with what Ahmadinejad feels is a more respectful fashion. He added that Iran would require mediation from neutral nations, to be named at a later time.

Ahmadinejad also listed three major prerequisites to any dialogue in August. The first, and most unlikely to be met by any of the P5+1, is that nations engaging in dialogue with Iran must “announce their stance on the Zionist regime’s [Israel] atomic bombs.” Each nation’s stance on Israel’s atomic arsenal, he made clear, would affect Iran’s dialogue with that nation.

This requirement, if a genuine prerequisite and not merely rhetoric aimed at a domestic Iranian audience, is sure to derail the likelihood of any meaningful dialogue. In the past, however, such statements from the Iranian president have been more intended to antagonize the West and galvanize support within Iran, rather than stand as formal diplomatic requirements.

The second and third requirements were more vague. Respectively, Ahmadinejad wants nations to announce their commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and formally declare their intentions towards Iran, whether friendly or hostile. It was not clear whether Ahmadinejad realistically expected such action to be taken or was mentioning it only to draw attention to what he considers to be a double-standard imposed on Iran. Some countries considered friends of the West are not signatories to the NPT, but Iran is a member.

President Ahmadinejad also responded to recent sanctions passed by several governing bodies, national and international, against Iran’s gas sector. Ahmadinejad pointed out that $49 billion has been allocated this year for development contracts in the South Pars oil field, one of the largest reserves on earth, and that Iran has planned contingencies if the price of oil drops below the minimum for making profits, namely $65 per barrel.

He also quipped, “We haven’t had trade relations with the United States for 30 years, so what will [Congressional] sanctions change?”

Also noteworthy, Ahmadinejad re-emphasized that Iran would still adhere to the terms of the Tehran Declaration, and is prepared to trade 3.5% enriched uranium for 20% enriched uranium. On the other hand, the Iranian president also made a point of saying that the Tehran Declaration is not a stepping stone to more compromise; rather, it is the most Iran is willing to do. “We do not seek to add anything to the Tehran Declaration.”