Iran threatens West over nuclear referral to Security Council

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Mar. 05 – Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator upped the ante on Sunday as he declared that the Islamic Republic would resume “industrial-scale” uranium enrichment if its nuclear file was referred to the United Nations Security Council. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Mar. 05 – Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator upped the ante on Sunday as he declared that the Islamic Republic would resume “industrial-scale” uranium enrichment if its nuclear file was referred to the United Nations Security Council.

“If the file is referred to the Security Council, then we will begin [industrial-scale”> enrichment”, Ali Larijani, secretary general of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, announced at a press conference in Tehran. Larijani’s comments come after his talks on Friday with the foreign ministers of the European Union trio, Germany, France and Britain in Vienna. The European side said the talks ended with “no deal”.

He said that Iran saw “no reason” to suspend its laboratory-scale uranium enrichment. “We will under no circumstances suspend [nuclear”> Research and Development and we will continue this activity”, he said.

Larijani ruled out any prospects for rigorous inspections in Iran by United Nations nuclear inspectors.

“We are patient but are also able to recognise when they are making excuses and when they have genuine questions. We will answer the questions but we will not allow excuses so that each day that they inspect a new military base in Iran”, Larijani said.

Larijani said that Iran would not allow “Iraq-style inspections” of its nuclear facilities. “If they have proof they should present it and we are ready to answer for those, but it will not be such that America presents an issue and we follow it up”.

Larijani rejected reports that Iran had set up a team to negotiate directly with representatives of the United States.

Larijani warned the 35-nation Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency not to side with the U.S. in their upcoming meeting in Vienna on Monday. “If they wish to go down the U.S.’s route we know how to make things right”.