Defiant Iran hints at withdrawal from NPT

Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Mar. 12 – Iran hinted on Sunday that it could pull put of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the West steps up pressure over its sensitive nuclear activities. Iran Focus

Tehran, Iran, Mar. 12 – Iran hinted on Sunday that it could pull put of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty if the West steps up pressure over its sensitive nuclear activities.

“We prefer to use the international mechanisms available and enjoy the benefit of 30 years of membership in the NPT”, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters, adding, “But if we reach the stage where international mechanisms cannot uphold the Iranian nation’s right, it is possible that the Islamic Republic will reconsider its policies”.

Mottaki said that there was still room for negotiations to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency referred Iran’s nuclear dossier to the United Nations Security Council earlier this week for non-compliance with the agency’s demands.

Tehran faces possible punitive measures by the Security Council over its refusal to cooperate with the IAEA on its suspected nuclear weapons program.