Iran weighs NPT ahead of P5 plus 1 talks

TEHRAN, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Tehran may withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the West continues to demand Iran abandon its right to enrich uranium, a lawmaker said.

Hassan Ghafourifard, chairman of the House of Iran's political parties, said Tehran's patience with the P5 plus 1 -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- is limited and it may abandon negotiations if they continue to "talk with us with the language of force."

In an interview with state-funded broadcaster Press TV, the lawmaker said his patience was wearing thin following years of negotiations over uranium enrichment.

"If they don't want to understand the position (of Iran), which is the position of peaceful enrichment of uranium, then there might be no use to stay in the NPT," he added.

His comments come as Saeed Jalili, the chief nuclear negotiator for Iran, left Tehran for Geneva ahead of P5 plus 1 talks scheduled for Thursday.

Jalili told reporters his delegation was entering into the talks with a positive attitude, the Iranian Student News Agency reports.

"Today, we enter the dialogue with a positive attitude and with goodwill," he said.

His comments came as 239 lawmakers in the 290-member Parliament issued a statement saying the P5 plus 1 talks were a test for the durability of the group.