Iran Focus: London, Aug. 10 Irans hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned that the Islamic Republic may cut its cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog if the UN Security Council persisted in its demand that Tehran freeze its uranium enrichment program. Iran Focus
London, Aug. 10 Irans hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned that the Islamic Republic may cut its cooperation with the United Nations nuclear watchdog if the UN Security Council persisted in its demand that Tehran freeze its uranium enrichment program.
The U.S. and certain European countries do not want Iran to have access to peaceful nuclear technology, to use that technology. And they are using everything at their disposal to make sure of this, Ahmadinejad told the Hindu in an interview on Thursday. Recent developments in Lebanon again demonstrate that the UNSC is an instrument under their control, he said.
They want to impose their will on us. They really are not looking for a dialogue. In all honesty, they do not want to talk to us but want to impose their wishes on us. They want to deny us our rights. They want to place a Damocles sword over our head so that we give up eventually. But they have miscalculated, he said, adding, The time for such behaviour is in the past, it’s finished. We are not concerned. And they will regret the miscalculation they have made today.
Asked whether there were any circumstances where Iran may leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Ahmadinejad said that Tehrans nuclear activities were being conducted under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the articles of the NPT. We remain firmly inside those boundaries. Nevertheless, if they decide to use the instruments at their disposal to put pressure on us to limit our activities, and try to take away or deny what is rightfully ours, and to distort our rights, obviously we are going to change our mind, he said.
The Security Council has given Iran until August 31 to suspend all its uranium enrichment activities or face the possibility of sanctions.
