Iran tells world powers to stop countering nuclear drive
AFP/PTI / Tehran Aug 24, 2009, 13:09 IST
Iran told world powers today they must stop working against its atomic drive and instead adopt a policy of interaction with the Islamic republic to resolve the nuclear crisis.
"It is the right time for the other parties to review their policy. Rather than countering Iran, they should interact with Iran," foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told reporters.
World powers and Israel are at loggerheads with Iran over its nuclear programme which they suspect is aimed at making atomic weapons, a charge consistently denied by Tehran.
Ghashghavi also dismissed threats of additional sanctions on Iran if it fails to abide by international demands to halt uranium enrichment, a process which makes fuel for nuclear plants but can also be diverted to make the core of an atomic bomb.
"Past experience has shown that sanctions are futile. Sanctions will not prevent us from pursuing our legal rights," he said.
US President Barack Obama has given Iran until September to take up an offer by world powers of talks if it freezes uranium enrichment, or face harsher sanctions.
Iran has long insisted that it has a right to nuclear technology as it is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
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