Iran’s News Agencies Say Obama Acknowledged its Nuclear Rights, Didn’t Want to Impose Sanctions & Warns of Romney Vote Fraud

In a curious article in Iran’s semi-official news agency FARS today, Iran is claiming that Obama not only acknowledged Iran’s right to pursue nuclear technology, but also did not want to impose sanctions on Iran explaining he had to because of congressional action:

Swiss Ambassador to Tehran Livia Leu Agosti attended a meeting with senior Iranian foreign ministry officials a few days ago to submit a letter from the US president to Tehran leaders.

Vice-Chairman of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Hossein Ebrahimi told FNA that during the meeting, Agosti had told the Iranian officials that President Barack Obama recognizes Iran’s right of access and use of the nuclear technology.

“There are a couple of points with regard to this (US) message (to Iran),” Ebrahimi said and added, “Firstly, during the session to submit the message, the Swiss ambassador to Tehran quoted the US president as saying that ‘we (the US) recognize your nuclear rights’.”

As regards the second issue, the lawmaker said that the Swiss diplomat had also quoted Obama as saying that “I didn’t want to impose sanctions on your central bank but I had no options but to approve it since a Congress majority had approved the decision.”

Although FARS is by no means a reliable news source, the above statements become a bit more interesting in view of Iran’s statement this weekend in defense of Obama, suggesting that Romney is getting ready to steal the election from him:

Iran’s government mouthpiece Press TV is panicking over the prospect of a defeat for President Barack Obama and warns that Mitt Romney will steal the election through “black-box” voting machines that “manufacture election outcomes.”

It also charged that the polls – virtually all of which now show Romney in the lead or at least in a dead heat – are fraudulent.