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Omid Memarian
o.memarian@roozonline.com

Hamid Reza Taraghi serves as deputy for international affairs at the Islamic Coalition Party ‎‎["Hezb-e Motalefeye Eslami"]. He spoke to Rooz about the resignation of Ali Larijani, former ‎head of Iran's National Security Council. Below is an excerpt from this interview. ‎

Rooz (R): Mr. Ahmadinejad has said that the nuclear case is closed, though it was expected that ‎continuing negotiations with Western countries would prevent a third resolution from passing ‎against Iran at the UN Security Council. In your opinion, what does this “closing” mean?‎

Hamid Reza Taraghi (HRT): Given that Iran has responded to the [International Atomic Energy] ‎Agency’s worries and no questions remain, and on the other hand, in the 5+1 group of countries, ‎the standing of Russia, China, Germany, and even Britain has changed with respect to Iran’s ‎nuclear program, with them not wanting to pursue heavier sanctions, and the United States and ‎France are the only two countries that insist on their old positions, Iran’s nuclear case has been ‎essentially closed. Therefore, we do not find it necessary to continue negotiating with the ‎aforementioned countries, and the case must be referred back to the IAEA, like those of other ‎countries that are members of the Agency. For this reason, Mr. Ahmadinejad believes that the ‎nuclear case is essentially closed. ‎

R: In the past recent months there have been many discussions in the Western press about ‎limited attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities. How seriously do Islamic Republic ‎officials take these threats? ‎

HRT: Islamic Republic officials have taken seriously every single possibility and threat, even ‎implicit ones and those based on rumors, and have come up with defensive plans accordingly. ‎They are not in any way worried about defending national interests from threats and are ready to ‎protect the country. ‎

R: Do you think that the change in Revolutionary Guards leadership was connected to Mr. ‎Larijani’s removal? ‎

HRT: No. These processes follow their own natural course under the leadership of the supreme ‎leader. Each person serves in his post for a limited time and when the time comes the supreme ‎leader makes the change. Most of these posts are for limited time. ‎

R: So Mr. Larijani’s removal took place under the supervision of the supreme leader?‎

HRT: Certainly it would not have happened if he were against it. ‎

R: Given the close affiliation between Mr. Larijani and the supreme leader, what is the meaning ‎of this change? ‎

HRT: This decision was made with an eye to the future. It is certainly backed by expert ‎opinions. The supreme leader must have approved those expert opinions to let this change ‎happen. ‎