By IANS
Tehran : Ahead of a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Monday Iran has said it will not stop uranium enrichment even at the risk of UN sanctions and called access to nuclear energy its “inalienable right”.
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Larijani had told state television channel Sunday that demand for suspension of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme was an “unwelcome issue”, stressing that “no one could ignore the inalienable rights of the Iranian nation to the nuclear energy”, Irna news agency reported Monday.
The UN nuclear watchdog is due to meet Monday in Vienna when IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei is expected to deliver a confidential report on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Larijani during his interview accused the US of pursuing “a unilateral and stubborn approach to Tehran’s nuclear issue” and insisted that Washington’s “illogical interferences would prove fruitless”. Larijani also called the US strategy in the region “confused and muddled”.
The Iranian leader said the recent agreement with the IAEA on Tehran’s nuclear programme is a major step forward and observed that “if the other party acts honestly and logically, it could lead to a solution”.
Larijani said within the agreement all technical aspects of the issue including timing and related mechanisms and bilateral responsibilities have been clarified.
Noting that the issue of Iran’s nuclear controversy has been left out of the working agenda of the European Union’s foreign ministers session in Portugal, Larijani commented “at least some European states think the way Iran does and it is the case even with some other countries like China and Russia”.
Last week Western media published excerpts of the IAEA confidential reports which said Tehran’s willingness to answer questions on its nuclear programme was a “considerable step forward” but said that Tehran should take more steps to underscore the peaceful goals of its nuclear programme.
The IAEA report said Iran has resolved all issues regarding enrichment and that the agency considers the file closed.
The United States and some Western countries suspect Iran pursues a secret weaponisation plan in the guise of its nuclear power programme.