(16 Dec 2006)
1. Wide interior of Iranian Interior Ministry building in Tehran
2. Mid of Interior Ministry's employees sitting at desks
3. Wide of employees in Interior Ministry
4. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator:
"There is unity among the Iranian nation, even with different political stances, regarding Iran's nuclear issue. These elections could be considered a symbol of this unity."
5. Wide of female employees at work
6. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator:
"The probable sanctions are political propaganda rather than being real. The sanctions include preventing nuclear equipment or nuclear warhead-carrier missiles from being shipped to Iran. We do not posses such equipment and we are not seeking this equipment. Moreover, they have never given us this nuclear equipment, so there is no need to stop giving it to us now."
7. Close of polling details on computer screen
8. Interior Ministry employee working on computer
9. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator:
"If by imposing sanctions on Iran, they are trying to undermine us, then we will also use our capacities to influence them. This means, we would have to use painful behaviour in response."
10. Interior Ministry employees working
11. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ali Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator:
"Some key states of the region commit mistakes. These mistakes can get them in trouble too. These elections can be regarded as a measure that will show them the right path."
12. Ali Larijani leaving Interior Ministry
STORYLINE:
Voter turnout was high on Friday in Iran's local council elections that could be a gauge of popular dissatisfaction with hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and of reformists' potential to rebuild their suppressed movement.
A few hours before the end of polling Larijani, Iran's top nuclear negotiator and head of the powerful National Security Council spoke to reporters whilst on a visit to the Interior Ministry.
"There is unity among the Iranian nation, even with different political stances, regarding Iran's nuclear issue. These elections could be considered a symbol of this unity," he said.
"The probable sanctions are political propaganda rather than being real," Larijani added, referring to the US and its European allies' desire to have a UN Security Council resolution impose sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear programme.
The US alleges that Tehran is secretly trying to develop atomic weapons, but Iran contends its programme is for peaceful purposes including generating electricity.
But Russia and China have opposed tough action advocated by the US, Britain, Germany and France and the Security Council appears to have reached a standstill on the issue.
Larijani warned the Western states, saying if should they pass a resolution and impose sanctions on Iran, they would have we would have to use "painful behaviour in response."
Larijani criticised the policies of some Arab states in the region for following US policies blindly and accused them of making mistakes that would be harmful to them.
"Some key states of the region commit mistakes. These mistakes can get them in trouble too. These elections can be regarded as a measure that will show them the right path," he said.
Uranium enrichment at low levels can be used to produce fuel to generate electricity but at higher levels can be use to make atomic bombs.
Iran has said it will never give up its right under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel.

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