IRAN: The future of Iran's nuclear talks with the EU was in doubt yesterday amid reports that the country's top nuclear negotiator had quit.
Official Iranian news agencies said Hassan Rowhani, the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, had tendered his resignation to the outgoing reformist president, Mohammed Khatami.
The reports followed speculation that Mr Rowhani had told the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, that he would resign before next month's inauguration of the newly elected hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
Analysts said Mr Rowhani's departure would almost certainly spell the end of Iran's talks with the EU, a development that could result in it being brought before the UN Security Council.
Iran is due to resume delicate negotiations at the end of this month with the European trio of Britain, France and Germany. The Europeans are trying to persuade the Iranians to end permanently uranium enrichment - now suspended - which the West fears may be used in the building of nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful.
The Supreme National Security Council denied Mr Rowhani had quit. "It's a sheer lie," a spokesman told Reuters. "He has not resigned. Resigning at this time would be meaningless."
"Rowhani's resignation wouldn't help anyone," one analyst told the Guardian. "If he was resigning in protest at the pressure he is under, it would mean somebody with a tougher position would take his place. But if there is anyone tougher than Rowhani, it means there is no future for the talks."
After a meeting in Paris yesterday, the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and France's foreign minister, Philippe Douste-Blazy, said Iran must be prevented from resuming uranium enrichment. "The world has to be assured that Iran cannot have this capacity," Ms Rice said.
During his time in charge of the nuclear portfolio, Mr Rowhani struck a series of deals with the foreign ministers of Britain, Germany and France under which Tehran agreed to suspend sensitive nuclear fuel work to build international confidence in its intentions. But he also maintained a tough line against US and European demands that Iran scrap nuclear fuel work for good.