Iran Nuclear NewsIran considering reducing ties to UN nuclear body

Iran considering reducing ties to UN nuclear body

-

AP: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Tehran is reviewing the option of decreasing cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog after it issued a resolution critical of Iran last week. The Associated Press

By NASSER KARIMI

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Tehran is reviewing the option of decreasing cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog after it issued a resolution critical of Iran last week.

Speaking in a live television interview late Tuesday, Ahmadinejad also criticized Russia's support for International Atomic Energy Agency's resolution, calling it a mistake.

"Friendly relations with the agency are over. We will cooperate as much as they offer us compromises. We are reviewing this," he said.

The sharply worded IAEA resolution on Friday demanded Iran halt all uranium enrichment and stop construction of a newly discovered nuclear facility near the Iranian city of Qom. Iran responded by saying it would build even more such facilities.

Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful, insisting it has a right to enrich uranium to produce fuel for nuclear reactors to generate electricity. The United Nations has demanded Iran freeze enrichment, because the process can also be used to develop a warhead. The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of secretly planning to build a weapon.

Russia, which has cooperated with Iran in the past to develop its nuclear program, supported the resolution, earning it Ahmadinejad's censure.

"Russia made a mistake. It has no correct analysis about current situation of the world," he said, maintaining that Britain and Israel had swayed the opinion of the U.N. body because of their animosity toward Iran.

The president's threats follow up those made by parliament speaker Ali Larijani last week to cut ties with the international agency, whose inspectors are the world's only eyes into Iran's controversial nuclear program.

Any reduction of U.N. inspections would immediately raise tensions with the rest of the world even further, yet Ahmadinejad appeared to be suggesting just that saying that under international law, "we can deny (inspectors') access to domestic technology."

He also accused the IAEA of passing on information about its program to the "hands of our enemies."

While saving most of his criticism for Israel and the United Kingdom, the Ahmadinejad also expressed disappointment over U.S. policy, saying President Barack Obama had promised change, but seemed to be following the antagonistic policies of his predecessor.

Iran and the top powers at the U.N. are deadlocked over a U.N.-drafted proposal for Iran to send much of its enriched uranium abroad, which the West seeks because it would at least temporary leave Tehran unable to develop a nuclear bomb. So far Iran has balked at the offer. The unusually strong IAEA censure of Iran over enrichment was a sign of the West's growing impatience with its defiance.

Latest news

Amnesty International Calls Halting the Death Sentence of Toomaj Salehi

On Thursday, May 17, Amnesty International sent a letter to the head of the Iranian regime’s judiciary, calling for...

Around 6 Workers Die of Safety Incidents Every Day in Iran

Ali Ziaei, the head of the Crime Scene Investigation Group at the Iranian Forensics Organization, reported the deaths of...

Air Pollution Kills 26,000 People in Iran Every Year: Head of Environment Organization

Ali Salajegheh, the head of the Environmental Protection Organization admitted in a conference in Kerman on Monday, May 13...

Australia Sanctions Iranian Regime Navy and IRGC Commanders

On Tuesday, May 15, the Australian Government imposed targeted sanctions on five Iranian individuals and three entities, in response...

Iranian Regime Sabotage Plot Neutralized in Jordan

According to informed Jordanian sources, security authorities thwarted a suspicious plot led by the Iranian regime to smuggle weapons...

Iran Facing Infant Formula Scarcity Again

Iranian media have reported a new increase in the price of infant formula and announced that this trend has...

Must read

Coronavirus Protests in Urmia Prison

By Jubin Katiraie Prisoners at Urmia Prison in Iran set...

More Iranian Cyber Attacks Could Be on Their Way

Iran Focus London, 20 Sep - Hackers associated with...

You might also likeRELATED
Recommended to you

Exit mobile version