Israel Matzav

Video: Rohani bragged four months ago how Iran broke its nuclear pledge

In a television appearance this past May, 'moderate' Iranian President Hassan Rohani bragged about how Iran broke its pledges with regards to its nuclear program.

Like his predecessor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's new president Hassan Rouhani made a number of prolific performances whereby he was catalyzed into an underdog position. Monitor Mideast translated one of such interviews exclusively into English. Rouhani is seen questioning the IRIB reporter on basis of long-held myths regarding Hassan Rouhani's track record as a nuclear negotiator.

Let's go to the videotape.



Another interview with Rohani on the same topic appears here.

Here are some details about the interview.

Rouhani, who was being interviewed by Iran’s state IRIB TV (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) on May 27, less than three weeks before he won the June 14 presidential elections, was provoked by the interviewer’s assertion that, as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator in 2003-5, “everything was suspended” on the nuclear program under his watch. 

...

The interview, conducted by Hassan Abedini, was one in a series of shows in which the presidential candidates were questioned by the widely watched channel. The TV station is closely controlled by loyalists of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Rouhani clearly felt the imperative to underline that he was no Western pushover.

Far from honoring the commitment, in which Iran said “it has decided voluntarily to suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities,” Rouhani told the interviewer that all Iran did was merely suspend “ten centrifuges” in the Natanz enrichment facility. “And not a total suspension. Just reduced the yield.”

Unimpressed, interviewer Abedini asserted that work had been suspended at the UCF — the Uranium Enrichment Facility at Isfahan. Quite the contrary, Rouhani countered, detailing the completion of various phases of work at Isfahan under his watch in 2004 and 2005. He went on to state proudly that the Iranian heavy water reactor at Arak was also developed under his watch, in 2004.

Read the whole thing. Anyone who thinks that Rohani is going to stop Iran's nuclear weapons development is doing some wishful thinking.

Labels: Hassan Rohani, Iranian nuclear threat

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:25 AM