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Iran's President Defiant on Nuclear Program
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=FEFA62:3919ACA Country under
international pressure to be more cooperative on nuclear activities
Iran's president on Saturday gave a speech dismissing criticism of the
country's controversial nuclear activities. Amid mounting suspicions
over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, the country is under international
pressure to be more open and cooperative on its nuclear activities.







Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (file photo)Iran's hard-line president, Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, addressed thousands of people during a commemoration for
a volunteer militia, known as Basij. He lashed out at countries that
question Iran's nuclear activities and said they have no right to
prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear technology.

The United States believes Iran is secretly pursuing nuclear weapons.
Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.



On Thursday, the 35-member board of the International Atomic Energy
Agency, meeting in Vienna, put off referring Iran to the United
Nations Security Council for possible sanctions.

But the U.S. representative to the IAEA, Gregory Schulte, warned in
Vienna that referral to the U.N. Security Council remains an option,
if Iran fails to cooperate in a number of areas, including resuming
talks with France, Germany and Britain, the so-called EU-Three. "The
report to the Security Council will come, and it will come at a time
of our choosing and that time will be soon, if Iran continues to defy
the board's calls to cooperate fully with the IAEA, to suspend those
activities that give the world such concern and to resume negotiations
with the EU-three on the basis of the Paris accords," he said.

Diplomats say talks with Iran and the EU-three could resume in early
December, if Tehran is ready to discuss a proposal to move
uranium-enrichment to Russia.

Peter Jenkins, chief British delegate to the IAEA, called on Iran
Thursday to study the proposal, and increase cooperation with the
International Atomic Energy Agency. "Time is running out. We urge Iran
to consider the Russian idea seriously, and also to step up its
cooperation with the IAEA," he said.

Mr. Jenkins also said Britain reserves the right to call for a special
session of the IAEA board before the next regular session to discuss
Iran, if necessary.