Hassan Rowhani, Iran’s nuclear point-man in negotiations with the European Union’s big three added, “Iran will not allow other countries to pursue a halt in its (nuclear) enrichment”.
“If today the major powers manage to prevent Iran from enrichment, tomorrow it will be the turn of other nations in the world including Japan who will be denied their rights to self-sufficiency, Rowhani said.
On Monday, Hossein Musavian, another key SCSC official, said Iran may resume uranium enrichment in March if negotiations with the European Union end without any progress.
He said Iran would never scrap its nuclear fuel cycle work and was only prepared to give “objective guarantees” that it will not divert nuclear fuel into bomb making.
Tehran says its nuclear freeze is voluntary and would last only a matter of months.
Britain, Germany and France are trying to persuade Iran to give up its suspected nuclear weapons program and in return are offering a package of incentives including trade. Trade talks between the two sides are expected to formally start today.
Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, said the jury was still out on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
