UN inspectors arrive in the Iran for nuclear talks

(Reuters) - a team of UN inspectors was denied in Tehran on Monday for talks on Iran's nuclear program, a day after the Islamic Republic obviously as retaliation for the strengthening of EU sanctions ordered a stop to the British and French company of its oil.

The European Union angrily Tehran last month when it decided to a boycott of its oil from 1 July. Iran, the world's largest oil exporter, responded with a warning, the Strait of Hormuz, to close the main Gulf oil shipping lane.

On Sunday, its oil Ministry went a step of further, announcing that Iran has now stopped selling oil to French and British companies, a movement, but little or no effect on the supply is achieved with France or United Kingdom.

"Export of crude oil, British and French companies stopped..." "We sell our oil to new customers," spokesman Alireza Nikzad was quoted: on the website of the Ministry.

Iran, which denies Western accusations that it wants to make nuclear weapons, has driven in recent weeks also willingness to resume of the negotiations highly on its nuclear program his rhetoric.

The five-member team of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold two days of talks in the Iran, but Western diplomats have played down any hope of a breakthrough.

"I'm still pessimistic that Iran will demonstrate substantive collaboration," said a Minister Plenipotentiary in Vienna.

But the results this week talks is important and will be monitored closely because it could either increase the confrontation or travel offer to reduce tensions.

The European Commission says that the block was not short of oil, if Iran crude oil exports stopped when it has enough stock to his needs for approximately 120 days.

Industry sources said that European oil buyers already large cuts in the purchases of Iran made months in advance of the EU sanctions.

French and Dutch/oil, which but overall were total and shell large buyer of Iranian crude oil already stopped buying Iran and traders last week had said that Shell had scaled back sharply.

Shell, which has refused to comment on his commerce with the Iran was one of the largest consumer of Iranian crude worldwide, with about 100,000 barrels per day in Europe and about the same amount of the Japanese subsidiary Showa Shell.

Latest EU data for the third quarter of 2011, shows that the oil sales in the UK fell to 0 (zero) and France imported 75,000 barrels per day, only 6 per cent of its crude oil imports. Iranian crude interruption between European countries is exposed on the most debt-ridden Greece.

MILITARY IMPACT?

Iran says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, but its refusal to curb uranium enrichment, which can have both civilian and military purposes, has concerns.

Western powers not with violence against the Iran excluded, and it has an intense public debate in Israel whether it be, however, an atomic bomb Iran should attack.

The top U.S. officer said on Sunday that a military strike is premature, since it was not clear that Tehran would use its nuclear capabilities to build a nuclear bomb.

"I think it is unclear (, that Iran would build a bomb) and on this basis, I think it would be premature, only decide that the time for a military option to us, was", said General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the US military of Joint Chiefs of staff.

He said that he believed that the Iranian Government is a "rational actors."

In the West has some optimism about the prospect of fresh talks with Tehran, said, especially after it promised last week, "new initiatives" to the table bring sent a letter to EU foreign policy Chief Catherine Ashton.

"In these negotiations, we find a way out of the Iranian nuclear issue, current so that both sides win," Iranian TV quoted Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi on Sunday.

Oil, a major component of Iran's export revenues and an important lifeline for the increasingly isolated economy is on. It has little refining capacity and has about 40 percent of the need to import gasoline for domestic consumption.

Pressed tightened sanctions, combined with high inflation, have to feed the ability of the working class Iranians to themselves and their families, and this uncertainty provides the setting for a parliamentary vote on March 2.

UN nuclear watchdog holds lectures in the Iran

UN nuclear watchdog was officials in Tehran on Monday for discreet talks about suspicious nuclear activities of Iran, in the midst of a worsening international showdown, the tensions and rising oil prices has sent.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) hoping for "concrete results" from the two days of talks focused himself on "the military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme," the delegation leader, Chief UN nuclear inspector Herman Nackaerts, said late Sunday from Vienna departing.

But he shows booked progress "can take a while."

Iran has taken an increasingly defiant stance against Western sanctions and Israeli threats of military action against it.

On Sunday its oil Ministry announced crude oil exports to France and the United Kingdom had stopped was, apparently in retaliation for an EU ban on Iranian oil, which will be introduced in the next five months.

Although Iran offers less than three percent of the oil imports of France and almost none of Britain's, oil traders took fright at the prospect of Iran extended the 20 percent of its crude oil buys his action with the rest of Europe of.

Brent North Sea crude oil for delivery April rose to an eight-month high, up $1.52 to $121.10 in Asian trade. New York's main contract, West Texas intermediate light sweet crude for delivery March, jumped $1.72 $104.96 per barrel.

The Islamic Republic has also summoned in recent days what it was called "great" nuclear progress, it was more centrifuges, thousands add to its uranium enrichment activities, and produce, what he said was 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel declare.

The IAEA issued in November a report express strong suspicion that examined Iran, a nuclear weapon and missile warheads, confirmed last month that a new, fortified uranium enrichment plant outside Iran's Holy City of Qom had enabled.

The West has to stop its uranium enrichment Iran sanctions ratcheted force tried, but without success so far.

Israel, who believes that his existence through a nuclear Iran is threatened, has stepped up his warnings, that it could launch air strikes, calls for the United States and Britain to urge restraint.

Recent attacks by three Iranian nuclear scientists and attempted bomb arch enemies stressed a possible covert war between the two Middle East plots against Israeli diplomats in several countries.

But Iran has also agreed to revive an EU Overture for talks with the world powers, which reduced a year ago.

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, Fereydoon Abbasi Davani, said Al-Alam television, with the pressure from the Mächte--the so-called P5 + 1 group consisting of five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany-should subside.

He said "they better would do, to change its method because what they have used in the past with success does not meet yet".

"We will continue our (nuclear) path," this is purely for peaceful purposes, he said.

Added Abbasi Davani, that previous talks on it, the Iran with nuclear fuel now invalid "because we hindering our own fuel - now if we sit at the table, it will ask us, (P5 + 1) If you want fuel."

He mocked also Israel, what he said was "Afraid of the progress we have made in the nuclear field."

The official of an assassin fled bomb in 2010, said: "they have done everything they can to kill our nuclear scientists." "If it is not of Iran is now attacked because they are not in a position to do so."

But an attack should occur, he, Iranian military warned "Is an appropriate response."

The head of the Iranian elite revolutionary guards, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, told state television that the West for the nervousness was responsible, higher oil prices have sent.

"The crisis, have caused them in the region led to a rise in oil prices, and they feel the effect," he said.

"By providing their armed forces to the Persian Gulf and the sea of Oman, they will try to control the crisis." "But the view more of them and their forces, the worse will be the impact."

Ali Jafari said to show current military exercises in the South of Iran, the Islamic Republic to respond ability to any threat. And he hinted that Iran could close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf if necessary.

"We borders, and also of those brother see us Muslim countries as responsible for the protection of Iran, especially when it comes to security in the Strait of Hormuz," he said.