Iran Condemns Britain’s Antagonist Stands On Nuclear Program

Tehran, Oct 9, IRNA – Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast here Monday condemned British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. According to the Information and Media Head Office of the Islamic Republic's Ministry of Foreign Affairs quoted Mehmanparast as criticizing Hammond’s comments, adding that such antagonist comments are due to the British Government’s anger due to the national consensus and solidarity over mighty proceeding of the development programs in various fields and the comprehensive humiliation of the British in their efforts aimed at halting the process of development and blossoming of Iran, which is why in their antagonist approach they have focused their pressure on the country. Mehmanparast considers such shameless comments by the British official as a confirmation by the British state authorities total ignoring of the internationally acknowledged legal measures and the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) rules, in dealing with Iran’s totally peaceful nuclear program. Mehmanparast reiterated that the government and nation have proved that they will not compromise over their absolute rights in accordance with the NPT, based on the national will and interests, and would never yield to such pressures. The British Defense Secretary has acknowledged that the western sanctions on Iran are targeted at the livelihood of the ordinary people, which he said are necessary so that Tehran feels an “existential threat” from economic pressure and would end its nuclear activities. “We can definitely make the pain much greater. Nobody wants to cause the Iranian people to suffer unnecessarily but this mad scheme to build a bomb has to be brought to an end,” Philip Hammond told the Guardian. “The only thing that is likely to budge the (government from its nuclear position) is if they see or sense an existential threat. If the level of economic pressure starts to translate into potentially (government)-threatening disruption and dissent on the streets of Tehran, then they may change course,” he added. Hammond did mention the Iranians’ repeated explanation that “they’re enriching uranium for peaceful purposes,” but he blatantly claimed, “Nobody believes them.” This comes as there are more grounds to believe that Hammond is lying rather than Tehran as the latter is pursuing all its nuclear activities under the close inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and that the agency has never offered any evidence on a deviation in Iran’s civilian nuclear activities. Iran says its nuclear energy program is totally civilian and aimed at power generation adding it needs the 20-percent-enriched uranium it produces for production of fuel for a reactor that produces medicine for cancer and other patients.