Iran Not to Stop Uranium Enrichment

Source: Alalam.ir, 20-06-2008

BELGRAD--Iran's nuclear envoy says Tehran will continue to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) but will not halt uranium enrichment.

"While fully cooperating with the IAEA, Iran will continue with nuclear enrichment for peaceful purposes because it completely concords with the IAEA Safeguards and the international institution's experts have never spoken of diversion of Iran's nuclear program towards non-peaceful ends," said Ali-Asghar Soltaniyeh in a press conference Belgrade on Thursday.

The envoy said that Iran has always been insisting ban on proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of the chemical, biological and nuclear arms as it had itself been a victim of the mass destruction chemical weapons -- 100,000 Iranians were hurt by such weapons that were applied during rein of Iraq's Saddam.

Soltaniyeh said that Iran had during the 1980-88 imposed Iraq war had a chemical industry more sophisticated than Iraq's but declined to reciprocate Baghdad's chemical attacks.

"Iran does not wish production of nuclear arms because the practice, while being in contradiction with religious beliefs, would be a `strategic blunder,'" he declared.

Iran is a signatory to the Non-proliferation Treaty which allows its members to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

Soltaniyeh also said the UN Security Council must disengage itself from Iran's nuclear program since only IAEA experts are legally authorized to verify its activities. The Security Council has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran so far.

Iran has consistently provided IAEA inspectors with access to its nuclear facilities and even to some military sites on the request of the nuclear watchdog, Soltaniyeh said.

The official added Iran remains 'open to negotiations' with other countries over its nuclear program.

Iran is supported by more than one billion people worldwide and 118 NAM states for its peaceful nuclear activities, said Soltaniyeh, adding, "For Iran such a support is times more important and valuable than access to nuclear arms."