Rafsanjani Comments on Iranian Nuclear Ambitions

The story.

“We are completely serious, resolute, and determined to reap the benefits of our legal rights to make peaceful use of nuclear energy and achieve the fuel nuclear cycle”, Rafsanjani, who chairs the State Expediency Council, told the Dutch ambassador to Tehran, Hein de Vries, the state-run news agency ISNA reported.

The senior cleric said that pressure on Tehran by the European Union would simply make it more difficult to negotiate a diplomatic solution to end the deadlock.

It's a very interesting take from the former President, who lost to Ahmedinejad. I remember reading news reports he was put on the State Expediency Council to act as a counter-weight to Ahmedinejad. But it seems this issue of nuclear capability is one of such nationalist pride that it transcends even political considerations.