Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (C) visits the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, 350 km (217 miles) south of Tehran, April 8, 2008. Photo: Reuters

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said Thursday that any breakthrough in the upcoming round of talks with the P5+1 group will only be possible if the powers recognize the Iranian right to enrich uranium independently. Jalili said that negotiations scheduled to take place today can resolve the Iranian nuclear issue by “the acceptance of the rights of Iran, particularly the right to enrichment”. He affirmed that this right was ensured by the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Treaty. He also said that Iran expects the US to change its behavior, and this will be tested in the coming negotiations. Iran will protect its uranium enrichment right in the June Presidential election. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ramin Mehmanparast, expressed his hope that the P5+1 negotiation will have positive results.