The parliament speaker said differences between the US Congress and the Obama administration on Iran's nuclear issue have nothing to do with Iran.
Speaking at a gathering of organizers of the ceremonies to commemorate the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Ali Larijani said, "The actions of the US Congress and their differences with the administration is not our business and if (US President Barack) Obama fails to address his own internal challenges, he is the one to be blamed for any failure of the talks (between Iran and the major powers on Tehran's nuclear program)." ICANA reported.
Touching on the nuclear negotiations, he said, "One of the reasons that Iran should not yield to the demands of the western countries and stand up to them is that the issues raised in the talks are clear signs of bullying."
He stated that if the West was able to wage a war against Iran on the pretext of the nuclear issue, they definitely would not hesitate to do so, adding, "Their current stance is not out of their sympathy, but the war would cost them a lot, that is why they lately decided to put our country under pressure using various means."
The Majlis speaker said the West has made great efforts over the past years to exert pressure on Iran through various means such as imposing sanctions, but each time their policy proved ineffective after a while and Iran continued making great progress in its nuclear program, a fact which compelled them to choose to sit at the negotiating table.
"At present, the western countries, particularly the US, claim the sanctions have brought Iran to the negotiating table, but I ought to say they were forced to start negotiations with Iran after they knew the sanctions were ineffective."
Larijani went on to say that the US appears to seek further pressure on Iran through the "lever of Congress", but their internal issues and disputes have nothing to do with us, adding, "The fact that Iran has not succumbed to excessive demands of the arrogant powers is of high significance."
Elsewhere, the senior lawmaker stressed that terrorism and Zionism are just "two sides of the same coin," noting, "Unfortunately, the terrorist groups (in the region) carry out terrorist actions in the name of religion with the assistance of the West and the Zionist regime."
