Iran defiant despite threats over nuclear programme
Iran said today it would not stop uranium conversion and warned of “certain consequences” if it was referred to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions over its controversial nuclear programme.
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran wants to continue dialogue with Europe without preconditions and rejected a US-European threat that Tehran has about a week to freeze uranium processing activities or face referral to the Security Council.
“There is no legal or legitimate reason, given Iran’s transparent activities and its open cooperation with the IAEA … that Iran be referred to the UN Security Council,” Mottaki told a news conference.
“If a political decision is made to refer Iran to the UN Security Council, it will be entering a lose-lose game,” he said. “It will have its own certain consequences and will affect Iran’s decisions. We prefer that such a game is not played.”
Mottaki also said that Iran plans to organise tenders for building two more nuclear power plants in order to implement legislation that requires the government provide 20,000 megawatts of electricity through nuclear power plants for the next two decades.
Iran expects to produce electricity through its first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr early next year. Russia is currently putting the finishing touches on the plant.
The US accuses Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to secretly produce nuclear weapons. Iran has rejected the charges, saying its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity, not a bomb.
Mottaki said Tehran would ignore European calls to stop uranium conversion, which was resumed last month at its Uranium Conversion Facility in Isfahan in central Iran.
“The issue of re-suspension of work in Isfahan doesn’t exist in our agenda,” Mottaki vowed.
But, he said, Iran was willing to continue dialogue over its nuclear program with European negotiators.
Britain, Germany and France, negotiating on behalf of the 25-nation European Union, say they may help draft the language of a resolution demanding Iran be referred to the Security Council if it doesn’t stop uranium conversion by the September 19 board meeting of the United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency.
