Iran on Sunday denied that it had received any ultimatum from the European Union about its nuclear programme. "There has never been any ultimatum and we are continuing our talks with the E.U. as before," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi told reporters in Teheran. The spokesman was referring to press reports that France, Britain and Germany have set a November deadline for Iran to fully disclose its nuclear programmes, otherwise they would refer the case to the United Nations Security Council, as the United States has urged. "Ninety-five per cent of the important problems with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been solved and the rest are minor issues and to be settled as well," Assefi said. The spokesman also rejected press reports that Iran had rejected an IAEA request to visit a military site in Parchin near Teheran where Iran reportedly also develops nuclear projects. "No such demand has ever been received by Iran officially," the spokesman said. Assefi also rejected reports that Iran has made concessions to the E.U. about its nuclear programme saying that all negotiations and guarantees were based upon the IAEA's additional protocol framework. "We have never made any concessions on having peaceful nuclear technology simply because we already have it," the spokesman said. He reiterated that all nuclear projects in Iran are under IAEA supervision adding that even the issue of "yellow cake" (uranium process to hexafluoride gas) is for providing fuel in the nuclear reactors and not for producing weapons. According to IAEA diplomats, the same substance could be used for making nuclear weapons. "The E.U. should not be deceived by the United States and Israel and not allow the issue being turned political at the IAEA," Assefi said. Iran has predicted that its nuclear file will not be closed in Monday's IAEA session, but also doubts that the case will be referred to the United Nations Security Council where the Islamic state could face sanctions.
