ID :
185032
Sat, 05/28/2011 - 14:54
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/185032
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Soltaniyeh Dismisses Sanctions
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran's envoy to the UN nuclear watchdog said that the UN Security Council sanctions as well as the West's extra embargos against Tehran have had no impact on the Islamic Republic's nuclear activities.
"Those feeling the brunt are instead the sick and elderly stuck on Iran Air planes that cannot refuel due to restrictions," Iran's Residing Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh said during a discussion of Iran's nuclear capabilities at Vienna's Diplomatic Academy.
He further underlined that the Iranian people remain united behind the nuclear effort.
Soltaniyeh appeared to be referring to the fact that Western companies have stopped refueling Iranian planes in compliance with US sanctions that violate the international law.
"Please be assured that none of the sanctions has affected our nuclear activities," Soltaniyeh said in a message to the EU and diplomats in New York, home of the UN Security Council.
Instead, "you are harming Iranian passengers," Soltaniyeh alleged.
Soltaniyeh implied that the Stuxnet computer virus that affected some centrifuges at its main enrichment facility in the central city of Natanz had little effect on its nuclear work. Scientists immediately worked on antivirus software to protect against the malware, which Tehran blames on the United States and Israel, he said.
"No matter what, the Iranian people are more determined to continue," Soltaniyeh said.
In other remarks Friday, Soltaniyeh insisted Iran doesn't want nuclear weapons.
"Are we hiding anything? No!" he said.
Iran says its nuclear program is a peaceful drive to produce electricity so that the world's fourth-largest crude exporter can sell more of its oil and gas abroad. Tehran also stresses that the country is pursuing a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.
The US and its western allies allege that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program while they have never presented corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations against the Islamic Republic.
Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment, saying the demand is politically tainted and illogical.
Iran has so far ruled out halting or limiting its nuclear work in exchange for trade and other incentives, saying that renouncing its rights under the NPT would encourage the world powers to put further pressure on the country and would not lead to a change in the West's hardline stance on Tehran.
Iran has also insisted that it would continue enriching uranium because it needs to provide fuel to a 300-megawatt light-water reactor it is building in the Southwestern town of Darkhoveyn as well as its first nuclear power plant in the Southern port city of Bushehr.
Tehran has repeatedly said that it considers its nuclear case closed as it has come clean of IAEA's questions and suspicions about its past nuclear activities.
"Those feeling the brunt are instead the sick and elderly stuck on Iran Air planes that cannot refuel due to restrictions," Iran's Residing Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh said during a discussion of Iran's nuclear capabilities at Vienna's Diplomatic Academy.
He further underlined that the Iranian people remain united behind the nuclear effort.
Soltaniyeh appeared to be referring to the fact that Western companies have stopped refueling Iranian planes in compliance with US sanctions that violate the international law.
"Please be assured that none of the sanctions has affected our nuclear activities," Soltaniyeh said in a message to the EU and diplomats in New York, home of the UN Security Council.
Instead, "you are harming Iranian passengers," Soltaniyeh alleged.
Soltaniyeh implied that the Stuxnet computer virus that affected some centrifuges at its main enrichment facility in the central city of Natanz had little effect on its nuclear work. Scientists immediately worked on antivirus software to protect against the malware, which Tehran blames on the United States and Israel, he said.
"No matter what, the Iranian people are more determined to continue," Soltaniyeh said.
In other remarks Friday, Soltaniyeh insisted Iran doesn't want nuclear weapons.
"Are we hiding anything? No!" he said.
Iran says its nuclear program is a peaceful drive to produce electricity so that the world's fourth-largest crude exporter can sell more of its oil and gas abroad. Tehran also stresses that the country is pursuing a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.
The US and its western allies allege that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program while they have never presented corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations against the Islamic Republic.
Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment, saying the demand is politically tainted and illogical.
Iran has so far ruled out halting or limiting its nuclear work in exchange for trade and other incentives, saying that renouncing its rights under the NPT would encourage the world powers to put further pressure on the country and would not lead to a change in the West's hardline stance on Tehran.
Iran has also insisted that it would continue enriching uranium because it needs to provide fuel to a 300-megawatt light-water reactor it is building in the Southwestern town of Darkhoveyn as well as its first nuclear power plant in the Southern port city of Bushehr.
Tehran has repeatedly said that it considers its nuclear case closed as it has come clean of IAEA's questions and suspicions about its past nuclear activities.
