Iranian press stands firm over nuclear issue

As Iran and the international community prepare for another chapter in the nuclear stand-off, with the latest initiative about to be announced by three EU countries in Vienna, the Iranian press is forthright in its advice.

The hardline Jomhuri-ye Eslami warns that "Germany, France and Britain are not reliable negotiators."

Arguing that they are simply acting at Washington's behest "to force Iran to give up its nuclear technology", the daily adds: "The idea of an independent Europe is a sweet dream. The European countries cannot act or decide independently."

The conservative daily Resalat recommends that Tehran tries to get Western countries to participate in Iran's nuclear programme.

[Tehran has] a legitimate and legal right to acquire peaceful nuclear energy Iran Daily

"The best way forward is for Iranian officials to submit a 'confidence building package'... in which Iran asks Western countries to invest directly in Iran's nuclear programme as a way of providing assurances over what use Iran makes of its nuclear material."

"In return, Iran can voluntarily suspend its enrichment activities till the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European countries and Iran reach a consensus in this regard."

'Legitimate right'

The moderate Iran Daily believes Tehran has "a legitimate and legal right to acquire peaceful nuclear energy".

It links the nuclear issue with the visit of India's National Security Advisor, J N Dixit. "Dixit's visit came in the midst of all the heat being generated in Western capitals" over the issue.

"The top ranking Indian official's visit should be seen as part of the strategic dialogue between Tehran and New Delhi."

Another hardline daily, Kayhan International, comments on the successful test-firing on Wednesday of an updated version of the Iranian medium-range Shahab III missile, seeing it as "yet another step in the direction of peace".

"The illegal Zionist entity called Israel that has dangerously disturbed the peace of the region for the past 50-odd years possesses state-of-the-art military technology and has not concealed its intentions of attacking Iran and other regional Muslim countries," the paper argues.

BBC Monitoring, based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.