Iran rejects terms of UN resolution on atomic work

The people of Iran are entitled to produce their own nuclear fuel, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday, rejecting the terms of a draft UN resolution that demands it give up its nuclear work.

France on Friday issued a draft resolution to the Security Council demanding Iran suspend nuclear activities by August 31 or face the threat of sanctions if it refuses.

A vote is expected this week. "The people of Iran, in accordance with international norms and laws, have the right to take advantage of peaceful nuclear technology," Ahmadinejad told a news conference in Tehran, sticking by Iran's right to produce its own fuel.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi warned a resolution against Iran would create what he called a deeper crisis in the Middle East, but he declined to be more specific. He also said Iran would stop considering international incentives aimed at ending its uranium enrichment programme if the UN Security Council passes a resolution against its atomic programme.

The United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and Germany approved a package of commercial and technical incentives aimed at getting Tehran to stop a nuclear programme, which the West fears will be used to make nuclear bombs.

But Iran, which insists it is enriching uranium only for use in power stations, gave itself until August 22 to reply. Western powers deemed this too long and hastened moves to haul Tehran before the UN Security Council.

Asefi said Iran could still reply to the incentives, if the Security Council held its fire.