Ahmadinejad: Iran to go its way despite Western warnings

Nov 19, 2009, 9:12 GMT

   Tehran - Iran will go its way despite Western warnings, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday, brushing off international warnings after the Islamic state apparently rejected a compromise deal on its controversial nuclear programme.

   'The ill-wishers and enemies of our country do not want us to have progress and prosperity and therefore we should go on our way and keep the unity for realizing our aims by ourselves,' Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the city of Tabriz, north-western Iran.

   US President Barack Obama said earlier Thursday in Seoul that the US and its international allies would discuss 'consequences,' most likely in the form of tougher sanctions against Iran, after the Islamic state has not yet accepted a deal negotiated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

   Iran had on Wednesday reiterated that the deal under which Iran was supposed to send low-enriched uranium to Russia and France where it would be processed into fuel for Tehran's medical research reactor, was not acceptable in its current form.

   Without directly referring to Obama's warning, Ahmadinejad called on the world powers to change their policies towards Iran, stop their antagonism and start constructive cooperation.

   'If they [the world powers] changed, we would cooperate as well, if not, we will decisively continue our resistance,' Ahmadinejad said in his speech, carried live by the news network Khabar.

   Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told Khabar the sanctions threat raised by Obama was 'outdated' and would have no impacts anymore.

   Mottaki said Wednesday that Iran would only accept the fuel deal if the swap of low-enriched uranium for nuclear fuel would be effected simultaneously.

   Iran's IAEA envoy said Wednesday that there was a confidence deficit stemming from earlier, unfulfilled nuclear supply contracts with foreign countries and therefore Iran wanted to be sure that there was a guarantee that the country would receive the fuel 'at the end of the day.'

   Mottaki said that Iran would not to give in to pressure or warnings by world powers but at the same time stressed Tehran's readiness for further talks to find a suitable solution for both sides.