Boroujerdi made the remarks in an interview with the Persian service of ISNA on Sunday in reference to the news reports saying that world powers plan to offer to ease sanctions barring trade in gold and other precious metals with Iran in return for Iranian steps to shut down the newly expanded Fordo uranium enrichment plant.
Reuters quoted Western officials as saying on Friday that the offer was to be presented to Iran at February 26 talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and they acknowledged that it represented a relatively modest update to proposals that the six major powers had put forward last year.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the officials said their decision not to make a dramatically new offer in part reflected skepticism that Iran was ready to make a deal ahead of its June 14 presidential election.
The group, which includes Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States - and is known as the P5+1 - wants Iran to do more to prove that its nuclear program is for only non-military purposes and to permit wider UN inspections.
Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
The core of the new offer revises last year’s demand that Iran stop producing higher-grade uranium, ship any stockpiles out of the country, and close down its underground enrichment facility at Fordo, near the holy Iranian city of Qom.
"Fordo is not different from our other nuclear sites because passive defense (measures) have been implemented there, and in view of the Zionist regime’s repeated threats, it is logical and sensible that we implement passive defense (measures) at our sensitive centers like nuclear sites,” said Boroujerdi, who is the chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee.
"Fordo will never be closed because it is certainly our national duty to safeguard our nuclear and vital centers against the enemy’s threats,” he said. "This offer means helping the Zionist regime carry out its threats and target our facilities.”
* Source: Tehran Times