Ahmadinejad: UN resolution to have no impact on nuclear programme

Dec 25, 2006, 13:22 GMT

Tehran - The UN Security Council resolution imposing nuclear sanctions on Iran will have 'no impact' on the course of the country's nuclear programme, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Monday.

'The resolution is political and more aimed at saving the face of the United States and Britain (in the UN) and will therefore have not the least of impact on the course of our nuclear programme,' Ahmadinejad said during the day's cabinet session.

'Both our nuclear and long-range missiles' programmes have been made by local experts and therefore any sanctions in this regard would not harm the country,' Ahmadinejad was quoted by news network Khabar as saying.

The UN Security Council on Saturday acted unanimously to pass resolution 1737 imposing a set of nuclear technology sanctions against Iran.

The 15-nation council adopted the sanctions in the hope of halting Iran's imports of much-needed materials to continue its uranium enrichment activities. The council's five permanent members - the US, Russia, China, France and Britain - and Germany fear that Iran would one day be able to produce nuclear weapons.

Iran's Shahab missiles reportedly have a range of up to 2,000 kilometres and are capable of reaching any part of Israel.

Ahmadinejad had on Sunday dismissed the UN resolution solely as 'a piece of paper' which could not stop Iran's atomic programmes.

The president also on Monday rejected what he called 'Western interpretations' of elections held December 15. The results of the Experts Assembly, municipality and parliamentary by-elections were widely - and even locally - regarded as a victory for the opposition and a setback for the president.

Meanwhile the Iranian parliament has once again warned that it may approve a bill obliging the government to revise and reduce cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as a symbol of Iran's opposition to the UN resolution.

The deputy of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammed Saeidi however told Khabar that all nuclear programmes will stay under IAEA supervision.

Saeidi said that also the planned installation of 3,000 nuclear centrifuges at the Natanz plant in central Iran will go ahead as scheduled under IAEA surveillance.