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| Iran's nuclear negotiator resigns | Iran's nuclear negotiator resigns |
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| Iran's chief negotiator with the West over Tehran's nuclear programme, Ali Larijani, has resigned. | Iran's chief negotiator with the West over Tehran's nuclear programme, Ali Larijani, has resigned. |
| A government spokesman said Mr Larijani had repeatedly offered his resignation and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had finally accepted it. | A government spokesman said Mr Larijani had repeatedly offered his resignation and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had finally accepted it. |
| Mr Larijani had differences with the president over how to proceed with the negotiations, correspondents say. | Mr Larijani had differences with the president over how to proceed with the negotiations, correspondents say. |
| Western countries suspect Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons but Tehran says its programme is peaceful. | Western countries suspect Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons but Tehran says its programme is peaceful. |
| The spokesman, Gholam Hossein Elham, said a deputy foreign minister, Saeed Jalili, would replace Mr Larijani in time for a meeting on Tuesday with the European Union's foreign policy head Javier Solana. | The spokesman, Gholam Hossein Elham, said a deputy foreign minister, Saeed Jalili, would replace Mr Larijani in time for a meeting on Tuesday with the European Union's foreign policy head Javier Solana. |
| Russian proposals? | Russian proposals? |
| The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Tehran, says Mr Larijani has had differences with President Ahmadinejad over how to proceed with negotiations over the country's nuclear programme. | The BBC's Jon Leyne, in Tehran, says Mr Larijani has had differences with President Ahmadinejad over how to proceed with negotiations over the country's nuclear programme. |
| Mr Larijani has favoured further negotiations with the West over Iran's uranium enrichment programme, as opposed to the president's more hard-line approach, our correspondent says. | Mr Larijani has favoured further negotiations with the West over Iran's uranium enrichment programme, as opposed to the president's more hard-line approach, our correspondent says. |
| The resignation comes just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tehran and expressed qualified support for Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear programme. | The resignation comes just days after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Tehran and expressed qualified support for Iran's right to a peaceful nuclear programme. |
| Some Iranian media reported that Mr Putin had offered new compromise proposals over the stand-off with some Western countries. | Some Iranian media reported that Mr Putin had offered new compromise proposals over the stand-off with some Western countries. |
| Russia is helping to complete the nuclear reactor at Bushehr.Media close to President Ahmadinejad, however, have denied that the Russian president made new proposals. | Russia is helping to complete the nuclear reactor at Bushehr.Media close to President Ahmadinejad, however, have denied that the Russian president made new proposals. |
| The resignation is a sign, says our correspondent, that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has thrown his weight behind President Ahmadinejad and his hard-line approach on the nuclear issue. | The resignation is a sign, says our correspondent, that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has thrown his weight behind President Ahmadinejad and his hard-line approach on the nuclear issue. |
| Although Mr Larijani is a conservative who was appointed by Mr Ahmadinejad to be Tehran's point man on the nuclear issue, his successor is known to be a close ally of the president. | Although Mr Larijani is a conservative who was appointed by Mr Ahmadinejad to be Tehran's point man on the nuclear issue, his successor is known to be a close ally of the president. |
| The UN Security Council is waiting for reports from the EU's Mr Solana and from the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, before deciding on a third round of tougher sanctions against Iran. | The UN Security Council is waiting for reports from the EU's Mr Solana and from the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, before deciding on a third round of tougher sanctions against Iran. |
| Iran is developing the technology to enrich uranium on an industrial scale. The enriched uranium can be used as fuel in a nuclear power station. HAVE YOUR SAY The Iranian president obviously feel he holds the all the aces Javaid, UK class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3707&edition=1">Send us your comments Some Western countries, led by the US, fear Iran will further process the enriched uranium for use in nuclear weapons. | |
| Iran says it has the right under the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop nuclear power. | Iran says it has the right under the international Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop nuclear power. |
| The IAEA says there are outstanding questions about Iran's nuclear activities but that it has recently reached agreement with Tehran on a "work plan" to resolve those issues. | The IAEA says there are outstanding questions about Iran's nuclear activities but that it has recently reached agreement with Tehran on a "work plan" to resolve those issues. |