Iran looks at relationship with United Nations nuclear overseer
Source: Agencies |
June 11, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
IRAN said yesterday it would review relations with the United Nations nuclear watchdog a day after the organization's Security Council approved a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the sanctions as "annoying flies" as useless as "used tissues."
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of parliament's powerful National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, described the sanctions as "political, illegal and illogical" and said lawmakers would quickly "begin a revision of Iran's relations" with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
A revision could result in restricting IAEA inspectors' access to nuclear facilities.
Foreign Ministry spokes-man Ramin Mehmanparast said sanctions were "not constructive, and will destroy the grounds for solving the current crisis" with the West.
Though the United States hailed the sanctions as the toughest Iran has faced, they did not amount to the "crippling" penalties American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to pursue a year ago if attempts to engage Iran diplomatically failed.
The new sanctions do not affect oil exports, the lifeblood of Iran's economy.
Iranian officials said the new sanctions would do little more than harden the country's resolve to move ahead with the nuclear program.
Iran said the program was aimed at peaceful uses while the US and other Western nations suspect it is aimed at developing weapons.
Some Iranian officials took a more cautious line on ties with the IAEA.
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic energy organization, was quoted by the semi-official ILNA news agency as saying that plans for the reduction of relations with the IAEA "should be examined in detail."
He said the resolution marked a last resort by the West, which would have to accept Iran's right to pursue a nuclear program.
The 70 million Iranians have lived under some sort of sanctions for most of the past three decades.
In Tehran yesterday, people took the latest punishment with a grain of salt.
Mahsa Rezaei, a 27-year-old computer science student at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University, said he doubted the latest sanctions round would be any more effective than the previous three.
Iranian Commerce Minister Mahdi Ghazanfari said in Beijing yesterday the new sanctions would be "ineffective" and Iran would find new ways for economic cooperation with other countries, according to official news agency IRNA.
Ghazanfari claimed that even among those who voted for the sanctions in New York, "there are countries that are pursuing economic cooperation with Iran and enjoy opportunities"
Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the sanctions as "annoying flies" as useless as "used tissues."
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the head of parliament's powerful National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, described the sanctions as "political, illegal and illogical" and said lawmakers would quickly "begin a revision of Iran's relations" with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
A revision could result in restricting IAEA inspectors' access to nuclear facilities.
Foreign Ministry spokes-man Ramin Mehmanparast said sanctions were "not constructive, and will destroy the grounds for solving the current crisis" with the West.
Though the United States hailed the sanctions as the toughest Iran has faced, they did not amount to the "crippling" penalties American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed to pursue a year ago if attempts to engage Iran diplomatically failed.
The new sanctions do not affect oil exports, the lifeblood of Iran's economy.
Iranian officials said the new sanctions would do little more than harden the country's resolve to move ahead with the nuclear program.
Iran said the program was aimed at peaceful uses while the US and other Western nations suspect it is aimed at developing weapons.
Some Iranian officials took a more cautious line on ties with the IAEA.
Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of Iran's atomic energy organization, was quoted by the semi-official ILNA news agency as saying that plans for the reduction of relations with the IAEA "should be examined in detail."
He said the resolution marked a last resort by the West, which would have to accept Iran's right to pursue a nuclear program.
The 70 million Iranians have lived under some sort of sanctions for most of the past three decades.
In Tehran yesterday, people took the latest punishment with a grain of salt.
Mahsa Rezaei, a 27-year-old computer science student at Tehran's Shahid Beheshti University, said he doubted the latest sanctions round would be any more effective than the previous three.
Iranian Commerce Minister Mahdi Ghazanfari said in Beijing yesterday the new sanctions would be "ineffective" and Iran would find new ways for economic cooperation with other countries, according to official news agency IRNA.
Ghazanfari claimed that even among those who voted for the sanctions in New York, "there are countries that are pursuing economic cooperation with Iran and enjoy opportunities"
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