Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says Tehran's declaration on a possible nuclear fuel swap deal is the only solution to the nuclear issue, adding that sanctions are sure to result in failure, Press TV reported.
Speaking in a meeting with Japanese Speaker of the House of Representatives Takahiro Yokomichi in Geneva on Wednesday, Larijani said the Tehran declaration was the product of negotiations held in Japan earlier in February.
"After those discussions, Iran made certain efforts as a result of which the Tehran declaration was issued which came as a clear sign of our positive cooperation," the Iranian speaker said.
Iran, Brazil and Turkey issued a joint nuclear fuel swap declaration on May 17, based on which Tehran agreed to exchange 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium on Turkish soil with fuel for its Tehran research reactor.
The US and its European allies snubbed the declaration and, in less than a month after its announcement by the Tehran government, the UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear work.
"If the Tehran declaration is fully implemented many issues will be resolved completely. The path of the resolutions will bear absolutely no fruit," Larijani cautioned.
He went on to say that the US-driven sanctions against Iran breached the nuclear fuel swap declaration and a Washington pledge to commit to any such deal.
During Larijani's earlier visit to Tokyo, Japan offered to enrich uranium for Iran seeking to allay international concerns that Iran might be pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program.
The enriched uranium would be used at Tehran's research reactor to produce medical isotopes.
Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, says its nuclear program is directed at the civilian applications of the technology.
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