Obama must stand up to ‘extremists' over nuclear talks, Iran vice-president
US President Barack Obama must stand up to “extremists” who oppose a deal over Iran’s nuclear capacity, Iranian vice-president Massoumeh Ebtekar told RFI this week. There is little opposition in her to negotiations in her own country, she said.
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“Radical groups exist in all societies,” Ebtekar said on a visit to Paris. “And I hope that Mr Obama will be able to resist certain pressures and to the most extremist temptations.”
The US president has been criticised for negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme by right-wing Republicans, who invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress this week.
The “general atmosphere” in her country “is in favour of the negotiations advancing”, she said, although Iran must have the right to have nuclear technology and the “unfair and illegal” sanctions” imposed by the US and the European Union must be lifted.
Although as a student she took part in the occupation of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979-80, Ebtekar says she wants to see relations with Washington improve, pointing out that her country has a lot of influence in the Middle East and can work for more stability there.
Ebtekar is the only woman among the Islamic republic’s 12 vice-presidents and is responsible for the environment.
Tehran is “impatient to work closely with France”, which is to host a conference on the global warming this year, she said.
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