Iran sets defiant tone on nuclear pursuit after IAEA report

Iran Focus: Tehran, Sep. 04 – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog, for issuing an “ambiguous” report which censured Iran for not being forthcoming on its suspected nuclear weapons program. Iran Focus

Tehran, Sep. 04 – Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday criticised the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog, for issuing an “ambiguous” report which censured Iran for not being forthcoming on its suspected nuclear weapons program.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi said that Iran would continue with its nuclear fuel cycle despite the imminent threat of Tehran’s nuclear file being hauled before the UN Security Council.

Asefi called the report which had been prepared by IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei as lacking “coherence and integrity”.

“The time when they could get us to hold back from our rights by threatening us is over”, the spokesman said, adding that work recommenced at Iran’s Isfahan plant, which the IAEA condemned in a resolution, was “part of the past” and not open to further discussions.

Asefi went on to say that Iran’s “interests” and “rights” were its red lines which could not be crossed.

Separately, Iranian state television broadcast an interview with Ali Larijani, the secretary general of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, who was adamant that despite the threat of UN Security Council referral, Iran would not back down from its sensitive nuclear activities.

Larijani demanded that the West halt its “bullying”, adding that it would be a “mistake” to send Iran’s nuclear file to the Security Council.