Ahmadinejad rejects nuclear report
- 13 years ago
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad speaks out against the International Atomic Energy Agency during a speech in Tehran.
The Iranian president dismissed a report from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog saying the Islamic Republic had worked on designing an atomic bomb.
Ahmadinejad said the report was based on 'invalid claims' from Washington, and that his country will not alter their behaviour.
On the snow covered streets of Tehran, residents also blamed the U.S.'s icy relationship towards Iran for the IAEA report.
SOUNDBITE (Farsi) 45 YEAR OLD MOHAMMED HAMIDI:
"The Agency (IAEA) is supposedly an international organisation but in reality it is only confined by an arrogant power and is under their supervisions. This is a media war they have launched against our country."
Iran denies it wants nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear programme is intended to generate electricity.
But Tehran's history of hiding sensitive activity and restrictions on IAEA access have drawn four rounds of U.N. sanctions and separate punitive steps from the U.S. and the E.U.
China on Wednesday called for a peaceful resolution based on dialogue and cooperation, amid concerns that the U.S. and its allies will push for harsher sanctions against Iran and even risk military action.
Simon Hanna, Reuters
The Iranian president dismissed a report from the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog saying the Islamic Republic had worked on designing an atomic bomb.
Ahmadinejad said the report was based on 'invalid claims' from Washington, and that his country will not alter their behaviour.
On the snow covered streets of Tehran, residents also blamed the U.S.'s icy relationship towards Iran for the IAEA report.
SOUNDBITE (Farsi) 45 YEAR OLD MOHAMMED HAMIDI:
"The Agency (IAEA) is supposedly an international organisation but in reality it is only confined by an arrogant power and is under their supervisions. This is a media war they have launched against our country."
Iran denies it wants nuclear weapons, saying its nuclear programme is intended to generate electricity.
But Tehran's history of hiding sensitive activity and restrictions on IAEA access have drawn four rounds of U.N. sanctions and separate punitive steps from the U.S. and the E.U.
China on Wednesday called for a peaceful resolution based on dialogue and cooperation, amid concerns that the U.S. and its allies will push for harsher sanctions against Iran and even risk military action.
Simon Hanna, Reuters