Ahmadinejad: Iran prepared to face Western pressures

Sep 5, 2009, 9:44 GMT

   Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was prepared for Western pressures in case of renewed sanctions against the country, official news agency IRNA reported Saturday.

   'It is a grave mistake (by the West) to think that we would give in to accusations, impoliteness, insults and spread of and retreat from our (nuclear) rights,' Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with war veterans.

   During a European Union foreign ministerial meeting in Stockholm, Tehran's continued refusal to disclose details of its controversial nuclear programme again generated calls for sanctions against Iran.

   The leaders of France and Germany earlier this week issued a joint statement calling for tougher sanctions if Iran fails to enter talks on its nuclear programme ahead of a September 30 deadline.

   'We have prepared ourselves for pressures (sanctions) and as far as my government is concerned, there will not be no withdrawal from the principles, not even one iota,' Ahmadinejad said.

   Iran reportedly plans to present new proposals to the six countries involved in the nuclear dispute with Iran - the five permanent members of the UN Security Council Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany - by early next week.

   The proposals are widely expected not to bring a breakthrough as, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi, they would solely deal with global peace, security and justice.

   Iran's proposals for improving the world order is not relevant to the specific demand by the world powers that Tehran suspend its uranium-enrichment process.

   US President Barack Obama declared September to be the deadline for Iran to return to nuclear negotiations and the six powers have several times called on Iran to honor it.

   Tehran has however rejected the deadline and Ahmadinejad even proclaimed that the nuclear dispute should only be discussed with by the International Atomic Energy Agency, not the six world powers.

   The international community fears that Iran has been engaged in a secret nuclear weapons programme that could eventually be used against its arch-enemy Israel.

   Tehran has categorically denied the charges, and said its nuclear projects are for civilian and peaceful purposes.