Iran: media propoganda to undermine Iran's position

The secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) in a statement yesterday denied sending any confidential message from the council to the British foreign minister, saying these are media propaganda efforts to undermine Iran's determined position in the nuclear issue.

IRNA quoted the statement saying "the secretary of SNSC has already sent an official letter to foreign ministers of EU-3 simultaneously and expressed Iran's readiness for beginning of negotiations, no answer has been received so far... although the psychological war, propaganda, distortion, false news, and spreading rumors by some alien media to create doubt on Iran's nuclear activities and talks are not unexpected."

Meantime, IRNA noted that reports Wednesday, quoting diplomatic sources, claimed that Iran has begun to process a new batch of uranium to convert it to a gas that IAEA inspectors were said to have witnessed.

The British government suggested Thursday that any Iranian plans to restart conversion at Isfahan plant would only raise further questions about Iran's nuclear program.

"Introducing more yellow cake in uranium conversion facilities at Isfahan would be a further backward step contrary to IAEA board resolutions and Iran's commitment to the Paris Agreement," a Foreign Office spokesman in London said, IRNA reported.