Hardliners attack nuclear negotiating team

Tehran, July 8, IRNA – The Hardliners, the critics of moderate policies of President Hassan Rouhani, angry with the ongoing process of nuclear talks, attacked the negotiating team branding them as pro-America traitors.

The conservative daily Khorasan wrote in an article published on July 8 that while Iranian media have no access to reliable sources about the ongoing nuclear negotiations, western media are using the atmosphere to spread rumors and influence the nationˈs judgement about the process of negotiations.



In the meantime, Jahannews, a hardline website close to Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel, President Rouhaniˈs rival in 2013 presidential elections, wrote in an article today that Iranˈs concessions to G5+1, have brought Tehran nothing in return economically.



The website referred to recent remarks by Deputy Director of Iranˈs Civil Aviation Organization, Mohammad Khodakarami about continuation of Europe jet fuel ban on Iranian airplanes as an example of continuation of pressures upon Tehran despite the Rouhani administrationˈs concessions.



Meanwhile, Rajanews, a website close to former top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, wrote today that the current negotiating team is giving green light to the western side of negotiations to possibly give last minute concession.



Pointing to the recent remarks by Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the website added that this is the first time during a decade of negotiations with the West that an Iranian negotiator says Tehran and western states have agreed on restrictions on Iranˈs nuclear program.



Pointing to the 2005 negotiations between Iran and EU Troika, the hardline website called the negotiating team as traitors who are going to deny the nationˈs rights and make a bad agreement.



Rajanews referred to increase of inflation in Iran in all fields and in particular in the field of auto industry and called Rouhani speeches about the ease of sanctions as a bluff.



The hardline website derided Rouhaniˈs description of the US as the global “village headman” and announced that the headman betrayed his bondmen.



Meanwhile, Vatan Emrooz daily managed by conservative MP Mehrdad Bazrpash wrote in an article released on Tuesday that Iranˈs negotiating team has already missed the chance of a good agreement with G5+1.



Iranian negotiators cannot hide the reality of losing the game to the western side behind their diplomatic gestures and saying at the same time that they will not retreat from national interests.



US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton are the winners of both Geneva and the Vienna talks, the hardline newspaper noted, accusing members of Rouhani administration as being pro-American.



President Rouhani on different occasions has defended his nuclear negotiating team against the so-called ˈWe Are Concernedˈ group who are critical of the governmentˈs foreign policy.



He has assured the critics that Foreign Ministryˈs nuclear negotiating team is experienced and capable enough to defend the nationˈs rights.



Critics of President Rouhaniˈs policies particularly its foreign policy have launched a campaign known as “We Are Concerned” and have asked him on different occasions to give up his moderate policies and adopt the past policies of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.



Iranˈs foreign policy has taken new directions since Rouhani was elected as President in 2013.



Nuclear talks between Iran and the G5+1 members have gained momentum.