TEHRAN — Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani Friday dismissed Israeli threats to attack Iranian nuclear installations as “suicidal” and said that it would not make much difference to Iran who was elected president of the United States. In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor at Iran’s historic parliament chambers, Larijani, a member of a prominent Iranian religious family and Iran’s former chief nuclear negotiator, also denied allegations that Iran has used a site called Parchin for nuclear work. Larijani maintained that US, Turkish and Arab support for Syrian rebels was fueling the civil war in that country and said that Iran would not abandon its long-time ally, President Bashar al-Assad, despite the deaths of more than 20,000 people in Syria in the past 18 months. He accused the US of wanting “to make a new Benghazi,” referring to the Libyan opposition stronghold that was recognized by many countries before the downfall of long-time Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

Excerpts from the interview follow:

Al-Monitor:  In its latest report, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed dissatisfaction with Iranian cooperation and said Iran had been conducting activities at Parchin that would “significantly hamper the Agency’s ability to conduct effective verification” of suspected nuclear activities. It also said that Iran has added to its stockpiles of 5% and 20% enriched uranium.

Larijani:  This is a cliché because we don’t accept the resolutions of the UN and we think it’s not fair because it talks about the additional protocol [of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which Iran has signed but not ratified] … and says all the [nuclear] activities should be suspended. We don’t accept suspension. About the figures you mentioned [for enriched uranium], is it against the regulations? Because we are members of the IAEA and we are entitled to enrich. They [IAEA inspectors] are there to report these things. They are present. So what sort of a violation is it?