World
  |
|
Iran president defiant as sanctions debate grows
Iran's President Mahmoud AhmadinejadBy Siavosh Ghazi
AFP
TEHRAN
Petroleumworld.com 02 23 06President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed on Friday that Iran would defend its nuclear programme to the bitter end, as world powers braced for a debate on whether to slap tougher sanctions on Tehran.
A day after the UN nuclear watchdog found Iran in breach of a Security Council ultimatum to suspend uranium enrichment, Ahmadinejad was in defiant mood at a rally in the northern province of Gilan.
"The Iranian people is vigilant and will defend all its rights to the end," the president said in a speech reported by the ISNA news agency.
"The great Iranian people is resisting the oppressors and will not concede one iota," he said. "If we take a step back, they'll come rushing forwards, but if we stand firm, it is they who will be forced to retreat."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded in a report on Thursday for its 35-nation board that Iran had not suspended its nuclear fuel enrichment as the UN Security Council had demanded.
The United States, France and Britain promptly called for increased sanctions. Germany said that further consultations were necessary, while Russia and China withheld comment.
Senior representatives from all six countries will meet early next week in London to try and thrash out a consensus on the next step forward.
The UN Security Council had passed a resolution December 23 imposing limited sanctions on Iran and demanding it freeze enrichment, which makes fuel for civilian reactors but can also produce the core of an atomic bomb.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was to hold talks later Friday in Vienna with IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei.
US State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said Iran's failure to comply with UN demands "is going to leave us in a position of looking at next steps in the council on how to proceed."
France's Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said a new Security Council resolution was needed to "continue the sanctions," while British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said London favoured additional measures that would "lead to the further isolation of Iran internationally."
But stronger sanctions could be opposed by Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council with the power to veto any resolution.
At the United Nations, Slovakian ambassador Peter Burian, Security Council president for February, said he would sound out the body's 15 members next week on steps towards possible action against Tehran.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said Friday that his country would not "tolerate" a nuclear-armed Iran, despite its dependence on the Islamic republic for oil.
Tehran, meanwhile, insisted that it would not halt its nuclear work.
"Iran considers that a suspension of uranium (processing) would be contrary to its rights, to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and to international rules," said Mohammad Saidi, deputy director of Iran's atomic energy agency.
"Given that, Tehran cannot accept Security Council Resolution 1737 demanding a suspension of uranium enrichment," he added.
The IAEA report on Thursday said Iran had failed to cooperate on crucial issues that raise the possibility of a military dimension to its nuclear programme.
A senior UN official said the lack of "progress in the outstanding issues is the most important thing in this report."
The IAEA also demanded that Iran allow monitoring cameras at a huge, heavily bunkered underground enrichment site in Natanz, in central Iran.
AFP 23 0940 GMT 02 07
Copyright© 2007 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
Your
feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us
their views and comments about this article.
Write to editor@petroleumworld.com
Any
question or suggestions, please write to:
editor@petroleumworld.com
Best
Viewed with IE
5.01+
Windows
NT 4.0, '95, '98 and ME +/ 800x600 pixels