Iran will not relinquish its rights despite pressure: Iranian defense minister

TEHRAN,May 20(MNA) – The defense minister said that Iran will not relinquish its inalienable rights despite the enemies’ pressure and sanctions against the country. Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi made the remarks on Sunday in response to French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian who has called for stricter sanctions against Iran. The French defense minister said on Friday that the United States and European nations should take “decisive sanctions” against Iran over its nuclear program. “Given the inflexibility of Iran’s position, this dual, sanctions-dialogue approach should allow us to increase pressure on Iran in the coming months as the Iranian uranium enrichment program continues to expand in quantity and quality,” AFP quoted Le Drian as saying. Vahidi said that the French official had accepted the fact that the sanctions imposed on Iran had been ineffective. The United States and some other Western countries have imposed a range of sanctions on Iran for several years in an effort to curb Iran’s nuclear activities. They claim that Iran may be seeking to develop the capability to produce nuclear weapons. Iran denies the allegation, saying its nuclear program is meant for peaceful purposes.