Middle East News
Iran rejects Bush's ultimatum over nuclear proposal
Jun 21, 2006, 12:26 GMT
Tehran - Iran on Wednesday rejected the ultimatum by US President George W Bush to accept an international proposal aimed at resolving the dispute over Iran's nuclear activities or face the United Nations Security Council.
'The literature used by Bush is not acceptable and also not in line with our cooperation with Europe,' ISNA news agency quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Assefi as saying.
Bush had said on Monday in New York that if Iran's leaders rejected the Western offer, it would result in action before the UN Security Council, further isolation from the world, and progressively stronger political and economic sanctions.
'There is no deadline or ultimatum in the proposal and even if there was, Iran would not have accepted it,' the spokesman said.
Assefi further said that the nuclear dispute could only be settled though logic and wisdom and not through ballyhoo.
'The proposal is still under expert evaluation, the progress has been good, but when Iran would give its reply is still not predictable,' the spokesman said.
Although Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki had said that Iran would present the West with a counterproposal, Assefi said that there would be no counterproposal.
© 2006 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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