NEWS

Nothing can stop nuclear drive: Iran

February 03, 2006 18:36 IST

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday said his country will not abandon its disputed nuclear drive under any condition.

He added that Iran will continue on ultra-sensitive uranium enrichment work too.

'The main thing in nuclear energy is enrichment. The [International Atomic Energy Agency] board of governors tells Iran to totally suspend its enrichment activities. Today, one person even said Iran does not need to enrich uranium,' official news agency IRNA quoted the president as saying.

'They want to deprive us of our right to nuclear technology, and then sell us nuclear energy at a very high price,' the report quoted him as saying.

'Who are you to threaten the independent people of Iran? The Iranian people will follow their own path and will under no condition renounce their legitimate right,' he was quoted as saying.

The United Nations' nuclear watchdog IAEA began emergency talks that are expected to conclude on Friday with Iran being reported to the UN Security Council over suspected atomic weapons work.

Iran says it only wants to make electricity, but enrichment can be extended from making reactor fuel to making the core of an atom bomb.

The referral is very crucial for India.

The United States has hinted subtly many a time in the past that if India does not vote against Iran, it might not get civilian nuclear technology.

India's Left parties, in the meanwhile, do not want the government to vote against Iran.

India has said it will go with the majority and vote according to the draft resolution.

Check out rediff.com's complete coverage on the Iran nuclear issue

 

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