Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday Iran saw little benefit from its membership of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a day after Tehran announced plans to build 10 uranium enrichment plants.
Iran's parliament speaker Ali Larijani said on Monday Iran saw little benefit from its membership of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a day after Tehran announced plans to build 10 uranium enrichment plants.
Russia said it was seriously concerned by the proposal for a major expansion of Iran's atomic programme. Washington has condemned the plans as a "serious violation" of Tehran's obligations under UN security council resolutions.
Monday's comments by Larijani, an influential conservative politician, were a further sign of deteriorating relations between Iran and world powers seeking a diplomatic solution to a long-running row over Iran's nuclear programme.
Last week the UN nuclear agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) rebuked Iran for building a uranium enrichment plant in secret.
"I believe that their moves are harming the NPT the most ... now whether you are a member of the NPT or pull out of it has no difference," Larijani told a news conference.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, said the decision to build the new enrichment plants was direct response to the IAEA condemnation.
"This decision was the result of the recent (IAEA) resolution, and Iran's government sent a strong message," said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, quoted by state broadcaster IRIB.
Top Iranian officials have repeatedly said Tehran has no intention to leave the NPT, under which its nuclear sites are subject to regular UN nuclear watchdog inspections, or seek nuclear weapons it says violate the tenets of Islam.
Strategic analysts also believe Iran would think twice before quitting the NPT since such a move would betray nuclear weapons ambitions and could provoke a pre-emptive attack by Israel and possibly the United States.
Salehi, said Tehran would not violate its international commitments, state television reported.
But a hardline newspaper editor, appointed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, asked in an editorial whether it was time for Tehran to withdraw from the treaty.
"After seven years of hasty behaviour by the agency and (six world powers involved in diplomatic efforts to resolve the row) isn't it time for Iran to pull out of the NPT?" wrote managing editor Hossein Shariatmadari of Kayhan newspaper. "This is a serious question and needs a logical answer."
The 35-nation IAEA board angered Iran on Friday when it censured it for secretly building a second uranium enrichment plant in a mountain bunker near the holy city of Qom, in addition to one in Natanz.
Hitting back, president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government on Sunday announced the plans for the 10 new enrichment plants.
The United States condemned the announcement and analysts said it would accelerate calls for more UN sanctions against Iran over atomic activities that Washington suspects is aimed at building a nuclear bomb, something Tehran strongly denies.
Russia, which has so far refused to publicly support US calls for the threat of sanctions against Iran, said it was "seriously concerned by the latest statements of the Iranian leadership".
France said Iran should be given a "last chance" in talks over its atomic programme, but said it must heed the warnings of the UN agency.
"The fact that Iran persists in ignoring the demands of a big independent agency like the IAEA, that's very dangerous," foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said.
Analysts were sceptical whether sanctions-bound Iran, which has problems obtaining materials and components abroad, would be able to equip and operate 10 new plants.
Larijani said the IAEA was not providing nuclear fuel and technical support to its members as it should under the NPT.
"The NPT has become a tool that is used during the (IAEA) board meetings to create a political atmosphere," he said.
Under an IAEA-drafted deal last month, Iran would receive nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor if it parts with most of its existing stockpile of low-enriched uranium.
Iran has called for key amendments to the draft and media said the government would at a meeting on Wednesday study the issue of producing the fuel itself.
Larijani said there was still room for diplomacy.
"It would be useful for them also to use this diplomatic opportunity to let Iran work in the framework of the IAEA and international supervision to assure them that Iran''s activities are peaceful," he said. "Of course they are free to choose another method and Iran will act accordingly."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}