No one in Iran will compromise nuclear work, says Ahmadinejad

Jul 23, 2008, 9:51 GMT

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that no one Iran would compromise the country's nuclear efforts.

'I herewith announce that there is not one single person who would retreat from its nuclear rights,' Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Yasuj in western Iran.

'And you (world powers) have to accept the realities. I recommend you to correct your path (toward Iran),' the president added in the speech, broadcast live on state television.

After nuclear negotiations last Saturday in Geneva between Iran and the five veto powers plus Germany, Iran was given two weeks' time to give a clear reply to the main world powers' demand that Iran suspend uranium enrichment.

While rejecting this demand, Tehran has its own proposals for settling the nuclear dispute, reportedly within a long term negotiation-process.

For the first time in almost three decades, the United States, represented by Undersecretary of State William Burns, also took part in official talks with arch-foe Iran in Geneva.

'The US wanted to attend the meeting and we welcomed it. The US representative (Burns) was very polite and decent and respectful in the meeting and we consider this as a positive step,' Ahmadinejad said.

'The US is in the election phase and may make some remarks for pleasing Zionists (Israelis) and killers, so we ignore your remarks but beware to keep politeness and respect with regards to the Iranian nation,' he added.

He was referring to remarks by US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack who said Tehran should either choose cooperation or confrontation.

The Western powers fear that Iran might be using its nuclear programme to work on a secret military project. Tehran denies the suspicionss, saying its nuclear programmes are for civilian purposes only in line with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.