Iran will stick to atomic work

subscribe

Iran said no amount of U.N. pressure would deter it from its nuclear program, a day after major powers agreed a plan to impose new sanctions.

"We have a nuclear fuel cycle. We will not give it up under pressure. By holding meetings you (the West) cannot block the Iranian nation's path," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a rally in the central town of Khatam, the official IRNA news agency reported.

A draft resolution agreed by the U.N. Security Council's five members with veto power - the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia - and by Germany was sent to the 15-nation council for a vote.

It seeks new sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, which can be used to generate power - as Tehran insists is its sole aim - but also in nuclear bombs.

Ahmadinejad, despite saying the council "had no legitimacy among nations", has asked to address it to defend Iran's right to nuclear technology when the issue comes to a vote.

The West fears Iran's atomic work is aimed at building atomic weapons but a leading Iranian cleric insisted on Tehran was being honest.

"We are not lying. Our atomic work is for serving the nation, not for building arms," Ayatollah Mohammed Emami-Kashani, a member of Iran's highest arbitration body the Expediency Council, said during a recent prayers sermon broadcast live on state radio.

In December the Security Council imposed trade sanctions on Iran's sensitive nuclear materials and technology, and froze assets abroad of some Iranian individuals and companies.

Iran ignored a February 21 deadline to suspend enrichment or face further action.

The new draft includes a ban on Iranian arms exports and a freeze on assets abroad of an expanded list of individuals and companies involved in Tehran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

It also calls for nations and institutions to bar new grants or loans to Iran except for "humanitarian and developmental" purposes. The sanctions would be suspended if Iran complied and returned to negotiations.

Russia, which has been helping build Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, reminded the Islamic Republic that it should pay up on time if it wants to see the project completed as scheduled in September.

"No one builds nuclear stations for free. We are not going to complete the construction of the station on our own account," Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's state atomic agency Rosatom, told journalists.

Tehran denies there have been payment delays. Russia's involvement in Bushehr has clouded Moscow's relations with the West.

Related News

trump-vision-of-us-energy-dominance-faces-real-world-constraints

Trump's Vision of U.S. Energy Dominance Faces Real-World Constraints

WASHINGTON DC - Former President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for “energy dominance” as a cornerstone of his energy policy. In his vision, the United States would leverage its abundant natural resources to achieve energy self-sufficiency, flood global markets with cheap energy, and undercut competitors like Russia and OPEC nations. However, while the rhetoric resonates with many Americans, particularly those in energy-producing states, the pursuit of energy dominance faces significant real-world challenges that could limit its feasibility and impact.

The Energy Dominance Vision

Trump’s energy dominance strategy revolves around deregulation, increased domestic production of oil and gas, and the rollback…

READ MORE
trump-canada-tariff-may-spike-ny-energy-prices

Trump's Canada Tariff May Spike NY Energy Prices

READ MORE

EV growth in Europe

Parked Electric Cars Earn $1,530 From Europe's Power Grids

READ MORE

Duke Energy Florida's smart-thinking grid improves response, power restoration for customers during Hurricane Ian

READ MORE

ns rate increase

Nova Scotia Premier calls on regulators to reject 14% electricity rate hike agreement

READ MORE