Iran says pressure will not force it to give up enrichment

14:44|09/ 04/ 2006

TEHERAN, April 9 (RIA Novosti) – The Iranian Foreign Ministry
spokesman said Sunday that threats and pressure would not force Iran
to give up its right to peaceful nuclear technologies.

“We don’t believe that threats and pressure, including using the UN
Security Council, will make Iran relinquish its legitimate rights [to
peaceful nuclear energy]. Nuclear research activities are continuing,”
Hamid Reza Asefi said.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman also said that Iran was ready
to continue cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency
and hold negotiations with all countries to solve the Iran nuclear
issue.

Asefi made his comments as a team of experts from the international
nuclear watchdog was in Iran inspecting the country’s nuclear
facilities and IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei was expected to visit Iran
next week to discuss cooperation between Tehran and the agency.

Concerns about Iran’s nuclear program have been growing since the
Islamic Republic announced its intention to resume nuclear research in
January and the country’s hard-line president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
made a number of controversial remarks, including a call to wipe
Israel “off the face of the map.”

A number of countries have expressed alarm over Iran’s controversial
nuclear programs and have pushed for the UN Security Council to impose
sanctions on the country, as they suspect that Tehran is using its
civilian-energy programs to disguise military projects.

Russia has been at the forefront of efforts to solve the escalating
crisis diplomatically and as a permanent member of the UN Security
Council could veto measures against Iran. Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov has already questioned the efficacy of sanctions on a number of
occasions.

Moscow has offered to enrich Iranian uranium – a vital component in
both civilian energy and military projects – in Russia. But Tehran
said in March that it would enrich a small amount of the radioactive
substance anyway, an announcement that was greeted with widespread
condemnation.