16. februar 2012, 10:15 – opdateret 16. februar 2012, 13:24

Middle East expert and senior lecturer Søren Schmidt of Aalborg University said Iran's announcement that it has achieved two major steps toward producing nuclear fuel is a signal to the west that even the toughest sanctions won't stop its nuclear pro gramme.

After Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said the country is ready to resume talks over its nuclear program, according to a letter to the EU obtained by the Associated Press, but at the same time has threatened to cut off oil exports to Portugal, Italy, France, the Netherlands, and Greece in retaliation for European sanctions, Mr Schmidt said:

"Their signals are intended to mislead, deceive, and not least build up a hostile atmosphere. When Israel threatens to bomb Iran's nuclear power plants it doesn't automatically mean they're going to do it. It's all a game of lies, trickery, and propaganda."

According to Mr Schmidt, Iran's announcement that it's no longer dependent upon uranium imports from Argentina is a message intended solely for the West. "It says 'look how clever we are. We no longer need to buy uranium for our programme, we can produce it ourselves'" he said. "The reality is that Iran has a nuclear energy programme, not a nuclear weapons programme. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspects the country on a regular basis and they have stated that Iran's nuclear capacity isn't in violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which Iran has signed and accepted the monitoring it entails."

However, he also warned that the pressure from the USA, Israel, and the EU isn't without risk. "It's an explosive game. The West risks inciting what they're desperately trying to avoid - that Iran obtains nuclear weaponry as the ultimate defence against possible attack. The whole situation is absurd."