Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday
stayed defiant on the country's nuclear program, warning that the
Western countries can not isolate the Iranian people through more
sanctions.
Addressing a large crowd in Iran's central city of Yazd,
Ahmadinejad said "you (the West) want to isolate the Iranian nation
by using the institutions you created, and want to force the people
to yield, but you are wrong."
"You can not hurt Iran and will be more hated, don't think you
can sit and draft to make Iranian people isolated, it's the Iranian
people who isolated you," he asserted.
Meanwhile, the president once again vowed to continue its
uranium enrichment work despite the West demand.
"The Iranian people are standing up and will defend their rights
as one...they know the path that leads to greatness," said
Ahmadinejad.
Former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and certain Iranian
press recently have requested the current government to soften its
tone on the controversial atomic program to avoid a second UN
Security Council sanctions resolution.
However, Ahmadinejad Tuesday strongly hit back the internal
critics, saying "Iran can not obtain sympathy from the West through
soft talking and pleading."
The six major nations, namely, the five permanent members of the
UN Security Council plus Germany have been discussing a new
Security Council draft resolution against Iran after the Islamic
Republic defied the Feb. 21 deadline prescribed by the Security
Council for it to halt uranium enrichment.
The consultations have been dragging on for two weeks in New
York and a new text is expected to come out soon.
New punitive measures against Iran would include an expanded
travel ban on officials involved in the nuclear program, an arms
embargo, and tightened economic and financial sanctions, according
to UN diplomats.
British Ambassador to the UN Jones Parry has said that the six
nations had achieved "substantive progress."
Washington has accused Tehran of trying to develop nuclear
weapons under the cover of a civilian program, a charge that Iran
denies.
(Xinhua News Agency March 15, 2007)
