On the eve of the new round of nuclear talks between the Islamic republic and the 5+1 Group, while criticizing the weak diplomacy of Ahmadinejad’s administration, members of the reformist minority faction in the Majlis believe that the most recent position of the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency over Iran’s nuclear program to have been caused by Ahmadinejad’s tone and language and the posture that he has adopted against the West, adding that the country’s diplomacy is reactive and has failed to establish good relations with the UN nuclear watchdog.

According to Parleman News, affiliated with the minority faction in the Majlis, Dariush Ghanbari, the spokesperson of the group said in the Majlis, “The recent position of IAEA director Yukiya Amano at a UN General Assembly gathering who said that because of Iran’s non-cooperation with the agency, it could not verify that Iran’s nuclear activities were peaceful is the result of weak diplomacy and the recent positions of Ahmadinejad over the issue.”

Ghanbari said that Amano’s position was in contrast to previous positions and 16 reports issued by the IAEA over Iran’s nuclear program and added, “It appears that Ahmadinejad’s language and tone regarding the West and the policy that he has adopted in international relations has led the IAEA to forget its real mission and shift towards a somehow political position.”

According to him the diplomatic machinery of the Islamic republic has not succeeded in establishing good relations with the IAEA and in communicating the realities of the nuclear program and issues inside Iran to the agency and because of this Amano has been influenced by Western propaganda. “While we need to be most active in the sphere of foreign policy, we cannot defend our national interests well with the reactive nature of our diplomacy.”

This express criticism of Iran’s diplomacy and Ahmadinejad’s language vis-à-vis the West

Because a specific date has not yet been agreed upon for the forthcoming talks between the Islamic republic and the 5+1 Group and the rejection by the US of including Brazil and Turkey in the talks, many even in Iran now view the talks to be of no value. In the meantime, latest reports indicate that in addition the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait has joined the ranks of those in favor of a fourth package of sanctions against Iran.

In another part of his remarks to Majlis representatives yesterday, Ghanbari said, “Unfortunately the administration does not inform the Majlis of the details of its talks to the effect that Majlis representatives learn of what is going on through the media and websites. The administration does not even inform Majlis’ national security and foreign policy committee of what the news related to the talks in a timely and accurate manner.”

This is not the first time that criticism of the way Ahmadinejad’s administration is handling foreign policy issues is aired in the public. Earlier, protests for curtailing the role of the foreign ministry in its diplomatic activities, particularly the nuclear issue, had been made by Majlis lawmakers and other officials as the ministry was being bypassed by Ahmadinejad and his aides with the appointment of special envoys to specific geographic regions and issues. At one time as differences between Ahmadinejad and foreign minister Manoutchehr Mottaki hit the airwaves, Majlis deputies criticized the interference of the president in the affairs of the foreign policy and asked that the head of the executive branch to explain the reasons for his curtailment of the role of the ministry and the reactive nature of the country’s foreign policy. This issue had even brought forth a reaction by the supreme leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei who publicly said that there should be no efforts to create a structure parallel to the foreign ministry. Such criticism ran deep and Mottaki had said that he was bypassed on foreign policy issues and even the appointment of ambassadors to foreign countries when Ahmadinejad made such direct appointments to European capitals.

In his remarks, Ghanbari also had some words of criticism for his fellow law makers and said that their not pursuit of issues of national importance had resulted in the executive branch’s disregard for Majlis’ role and constitutional responsibilities in the domain of foreign relations.  He too expressed pessimism in the outcome of the upcoming nuclear talks.

Differences and battles between political factions and Ahmadinejad became more apparent when on pressure from Ahmadinejad, Ali Khamenei removed Ali Larijani from his position as the secretary of the powerful national security council and appointed Saeed Jalili in his place.

Observers have said that this move has allowed Ahmadinejad to increase his foreign policy intrusions, to curtail the role of the foreign minister and at the same time prevent the Majlis from performing its supervision and direction of foreign policy.