Iran prepared for fallout of N-programme

TEHERAN — Iran is fully prepared for whatever international consequences result from the continuation of its nuclear programme, local media quoted yesterday the deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation as saying.


“The Europeans should know that Iran will not make any concessions over its nuclear programmes and is prepared to face whatever threats the Europeans have in mind,” Mehr news agency quoted Mohammad Saaidi as saying.

He reiterated that the uranium conversion plant in Isfahan in central Iran was under the full surveillance of the IAEA with no grounds for any worry of misuse.

The suspension of uranium processing at Isfahan was a central condition to Iran’s talks with the European Union trio of Germany, France and Britain, otherwise the Iran case would be referred to the United Nations Security Council where the Islamic state could face sanctions.

Saaidi said that as far as technical aspects are concerned, all ambiguities, including nuclear pollution in Iranian plants, have been clarified in the latest report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the peaceful nature of the nuclear projects confirmed.

He termed the other parts of the report by IAEA chief Mohammad ElBaradei as politically motivated and irrelevant to the IAEA’s jurisdiction.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi said on Sunday Iran would not return to the nuclear suspension stage any more and not pay any attention “to whatever threats”.

Assefi said that the IAEA was only authorised to act in line with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and evaluate the Iran case from a technical and not a political angle.

The IAEA confirmed on Friday in a 15-page report that Iran resumed uranium conversion at the Isfahan plant last month and has failed to clarify certain issues surrounding the country’s nuclear programme after two-and-a-half years of inspections in Iran.

Iran has stressed repeatedly that it would not stop the uranium conversion process in Isfahan and could even look for alternatives from the EU as main nuclear negotiation partners.



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China's Ambassador to Tehran, Leo Jen Tung said here Monday, "Beijing is opposed to the idea of forwarding Iran's nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council", and promises to back mullahs of Iran at UN security council.

According to a report by the Public Relations Office of the Culture and Islamic Communications Organization (CICO), the Chinese ambassador made the comment in a meeting with CICO Head Mahmoud Mohammadi Eraqi, adding, "China defends Iran's legitimate right to take advantage of its nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."

He reiterated, "China favors solving the issue peacefully at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and not antagonistically at the UNSC."

Leo Jen Tung meanwhile considered the role played by CICO in strengthening the cultural ties between the two countries "important" stressing, "China is among the few countries interested in excellent ties with a strong and sovereign Islamic Republic of Iran."

Expressing his country's interest in broadening and strengthening the Tehran-Beijing cultural ties, he reiterated, "Some thirty million Chinese tourists visit various parts of the world annually, out of which a noticeable portion can visit Iran's numerous tourism attractions."

China's ambassador considered the two countries' cultural relation "eye-catching and long-lasting", asking for paying joint attention to its further blossoming, particularly in a bid to teach the Chinese language in Iran.

Hojatoleslam Mohammadi Eraqi, too, during the meeting complained about the existing imbalance in the two countries' relations in different fields, arguing, "Tehran-Beijing cultural ties, for instance, is not developed to match the two countries' political relations."
Mohammadi Eraqi Announced CICO's readiness to revise the two countries' cultural agreement in a way to include more cultural activities, including establishment of broader relations between the two countries' universities, training courses for Persian and Chinese languages in the two countries' universities, and broader literary transactions.

Eraqi meanwhile expressed hope that China would grant academic scholarships in order to provide the proper ground for materializing Beijing's demand for establishment of Chinese language courses in Iranian universities.

The Iranian cultural official at the end appreciated Beijing's support for Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, adding, "At any rate, Iran is ready for broader cooperation with China in all possible fields."

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