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Iran determined to make nuclear fuel despite UN ultimatum
By Siavosh Ghazi
AFP
TEHRAN
Petroleumworld.com 08 28 06
Iran underscored Sunday its determination to produce nuclear fuel just four days before a UN Security Council deadline to freeze the sensitive work or face the risk of sanctions.
At the same time, in a fresh show of its military might, Iran test-fired a long range radar-evading sea-to-air missile during war games that aimed to demonstrate readiness for "any threat".
But the Islamic regime said it still sought talks on Western concerns about its nuclear programme and confirmed that UN chief Kofi Annan was due in Tehran on Saturday, two days after the deadline.
"Production of nuclear fuel is one of Iran's strategic objectives," lead negotiator Ali Larijani told state radio. "Any action to limit or deprive Iran could not force Iran to give up this goal."
Despite the apparent inflexibility however, Larijani later said Iran was ready for ministerial level talks on its nuclear ambitions with Western powers, including the United States.
"Iran is ready to hold discussions with the foreign ministers of the five permanent Security Council members and Germany, wherever and whenever," Larijani said.
"These talks could include all questions between the two sides, in particular the nuclear issue."
Iran and the United States do not have diplomatic relations and have not engaged to date in direct talks on Tehran's nuclear research programme.
Later Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared: "The Iranian people will pursue their path and will not forswear it under threats or force."
Ahmedinejad added that as the representative of the people he did not have the right to budge an inch, but nonetheless added: "It's a first step."
The Security Council has demanded that Iran suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities by August 31 amid US-led concerns that its nuclear programme is cover for an attempt to produce an atomic bomb.
A package of incentives backed by the six major powers is dependent on the regime first agreeing to suspend enrichment.
But deputy foreign minister Mohammad Reza Bagheri insisted during a visit to key regional ally Syria that a formal moratorium on enrichment was out of the question.
"While cooperating with international institutions, we consider the suspension of enrichment as our red line," Bagheri was quoted as saying in Damascus by Iran's official news agency IRNA.
Uranium enrichment can produce the fuel for the generation of nuclear power, or in extended form can be the fissile core of an atomic bomb.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also said that despite Iran's firm stance on enrichment, it remained open to new talks.
"It is time the European side returned to the negotiating table without prejudgments and bad faith so that we talk and reach a result," he told media.
"We gave our response to the European side and showed we support talks."
The formal response was issued last week to a package of incentives backed by Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
"In our response we have touched on the issue of enrichment. Our response is clear and comprehensive," Asefi said.
Few details have emerged of Iran's response but the United States has warned it would lead moves to impose sanctions if the reply fell short of the Security Council demands.
The incentives package includes light water reactors and an ensured supply of nuclear fuel for Tehran.
On Saturday, Ahmadinejad defiantly inaugurated a plant to produce heavy water for use in a new research reactor.
And on Sunday, the deputy head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation said Tehran planned to build a new light water reactor to produce electricity.
Oil-rich Iran, the second biggest exporter in OPEC, stresses its right to peaceful nuclear technology as a signatory of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
In Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit called for dialogue "to try to find a formula that will bring an end to the current tensions and reach a solution which meets the expectations of the different parties."
His Italian counterpart Massimo D'Alema was quoted as telling the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that Italy, a major trading partner of Iran, should also have a seat at the talks.
AFP 27 2030 GMT 08 06
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