Mottaki tells UN Iran will continue its nuclear activities

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Feb. 29 – Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki wrote to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemning efforts by the international community to impose further sanctions over the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear program, the official news agency IRNA reported on Thursday. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Feb. 29 – Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki wrote to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemning efforts by the international community to impose further sanctions over the Islamic Republic’s controversial nuclear program, the official news agency IRNA reported on Thursday.

The letter, sent on Wednesday, was also forwarded to members of the UN Security Council and General Assembly.

Mottaki also reiterated Iran’s insistence that it would not desist from its nuclear ambitions.

“The great nation of Iran, along with fulfilment of its obligations, does not demand anything rather that the exercising of its inalienable rights under the provisions of international bodies”, he wrote.

The West would not be able to “compel our nation to abandon its inalienable rights”, he added.

Mottaki claimed the 15-nation Security Council had no “legal or technical justifications” for taking further action over Tehran’s refusal to suspend its nuclear activities.

Mottaki had said on Sunday that Tehran would not halt its uranium enrichment activities.

The Security Council has imposed two sets of sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment activities which the West suspects is part of a nuclear weapons program.

On January 22, the P5+1 states – Britain, France, Germany, the United States, Russia, and China – announced an agreement on the contents of a third sanctions resolution on Iran, building on resolutions 1696, 1737 and 1747. Resolutions 1737 and 1747 imposed sanctions on Tehran.