Maneuvers tilt scale in favor of Iran

Iran's military exercise strengthened the country's position in talks over its nuclear standoff with the West, a senior official says. "Because of the recent maneuvers, the Islamic Republic will come to the negotiation table with a full hand," Iranian Deputy Defense Minister Brigadier General Nasrallah Ezzati said Monday. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) ended an extensive military exercise on Sunday. During the maneuvers, Iran successfully test-fired various advanced shore-to-sea, surface-to-surface and sea-to-air missiles. Iran also tested the upgraded Shahab-3 missile equipped with a one-ton conventional warhead and capable of hitting targets within a 2,000-kilometer range. The defense official, who is in charge of coordinating armed forces logistics, added that Iran's 'successful maneuver' prompted Washington to relocate one of its navy warships. On July 8, the Pentagon moved an aircraft carrier out of the Persian Gulf after Iran warned US ships would come under fire if they attacked the country. Washington, Tel Aviv, and their European allies accuse Tehran of pursuing a military nuclear program. While claiming that they are committed to a diplomatic solution, both the US and Israel repeatedly threaten that the use of military force remains on the table to stop Iran's nuclear drive. Tehran insists its nuclear program is aimed at electricity generation in line with the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The most recent UN nuclear watchdog report concluded that there is no link between the use of nuclear material and the 'alleged studies' of weaponization attributed to Iran by Western countries. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is scheduled to meet with Iran's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Geneva on Saturday to discuss the G5+1 package of incentives presented to Iran. In June, Solana presented Tehran with an updated package of economic and political incentives drawn up by the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany (G5+1) to pressure Iran into suspending its uranium enrichment. Washington and its allies previously demanded that Iran halt its enrichment before continuing its talks with the G5+1. Brig. Gen. Ezzati said he believes that the West has accepted to continue negotiations with Tehran without such preconditions due to Iran's military might and the nation's determination to develop nuclear energy. The US State Department announced on Saturday that the Islamic Republic can enter into negotiations without initially suspending uranium enrichment.

Source:Press TV

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