Iran put on a defiant face on Monday in its nuclear standoff
with the West, as its supreme leader vowed to continue the Islamic
Republic's energy work and a nuclear official declared suspension
of uranium enrichment "practically impossible."
Tehran's hardened stance came on the eve of its self-imposed
deadline to formally respond to a six-nation package which includes
both incentives aimed at persuading Iran to suspend uranium
enrichment and possible sanctions if Iran does not comply.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has decided to continue its path
powerfully regarding the nuclear energy issue," the state
television quoted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying
on Monday.
"Bullying powers and the United States have imposed huge
pressure on Iran while they know that Iran is not developing
nuclear weapons," he added.
The United States has accused Iran of secretly developing
nuclear weapons under a civilian front, a charge categorically
denied by Tehran which says that its nuclear program is for
peaceful purposes.
The Iranian leader did not directly mention the nuclear proposal
agreed on in June by the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council -- the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain, --
plus Germany. Iran has promised to give an official response by
Aug. 22.
In another sign of Iran's defiant stance, Deputy Director of
Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (AEO) Mohammad Sa'eedi said
Monday that suspension of uranium enrichment was "practically
impossible" even though the UN Security Council had made such a
demand.
"Considering the technical progresses made by the Iranian
scientists in the nuclear ground, suspension of uranium enrichment
has now turned practically impossible," local Fars news agency
quoted Sa'eedi as saying.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution last month urging
Tehran to suspend by Aug. 31 all enrichment-related and
reprocessing activities, including research and development, or
face the prospect of sanctions.
Iranian officials have rejected the resolution as having no
legality and vowed to retaliate if sanctions are imposed on it.
The chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and
Foreign Policy Commission, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, warned Monday that
Iran might kick out International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA)inspectors if it faces sanctions.
"We have a plan at the commission which rules for the halt of
IAEA inspections in case rights of the Iranian nation are ignored
and sanctions are imposed on us," Fars news agency quoted
Boroujerdi as saying.
"In compliance with the same bill, we are studying the
possibility of removing IAEA cameras now installed in our nuclear
power plants," he told reporters on the sidelines of an open
session of the parliament.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials confirmed that Tehran had finished
considering the six-nation offer aimed at settling the nuclear
dispute and would present its response on Tuesday. Sa'eedi, the
Iranian nuclear official, said Tehran's answer would be "very
comprehensive and provide a very convenient opportunity for the
West to move towards solving the case through negotiations."
Iran would not propose any parallel or counter plan to replace
the six-nation package, he added.
Meanwhile, Iran's giant heavy-water project will become
operational in the near future, Sa'eedi said, adding that the
achievement will make Iran the ninth country to own a heavy-water
production complex in the world.
The IAEA has asked Iran to reconsider its plans to work on the
heavy water research reactor at Arak, 230 km south of Tehran.
Heavy water reactor could produce plutonium, a material that can
be used in making nuclear bombs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, who is on a visit
to South Africa, said on Monday that he hoped a comprehensive
agreement could be reached.
"We hope there is some cooperation and negotiation respecting
the right of Iran to have nuclear technology and remove any
questions," Mottaki said in Pretoria, South Africa's capital.
(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)
