Iran's suspension of uranium enrichment activities was only a temporary move and would never be indefinite, Hassan Rowhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, told reporters in Tehran, on Nov. 30. (AFP Photo)

    TEHRAN, Nov. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- A top Iranian nuclear official said here Tuesday that Iran's suspension of uranium enrichment activities was only a temporary move and would never be indefinite.

    "The Islamic republic has not renounced its nuclear fuel cycle and it will use it," Hassan Rowhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, told reporters.

    "The suspension will only last as long as the related negotiations go on. It should be for months but not for years," Rowhani said, adding that both a UN resolution and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that the suspension was not obligatory and legal.

    Rowhani said Iran had obtained a great success in recent nuclear negotiations, stressing that the United States had been frustrated on its attempt to refer Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

    Rowhani further noted that Iran's nuclear dossier should be closed.

    "The resolution of the IAEA explicitly confirms that Iran's nuclear program is peaceful, so the country's nuclear case should no longer remain a top issue of the agency," he said.

    The UN nuclear watchdog on Monday adopted a resolution presented by the European trio of France, Germany and Britain, in which the agency decided not to refer Iran's case to the UN Security Council.

    The resolution, at Iran's strong request, defined the country'ssuspension of uranium enrichment activities as a "voluntary move" and a "non-legally-binding measure". Iran termed the new resolution as "appropriate" but "not meeting all Iranian demands".

    The IAEA resolution was welcomed by countries such as Germany, France, Russia and China, while the United States and the current chair of the IAEA Board of Governors, Canada, saw it differently.

    China welcomed Iran's decision to suspend its uranium enrichment programs, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhang Qiyue on Tuesday.

    The decision created favorable conditions for the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to solve the nuclear issue of Iran, Zhang said at a regular press conference.

    Russia welcomed Tuesday the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) resolution not to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council for a decision on Iran's nuclear program, the Interfax news agency cited a senior Russian official as saying.

    "The resolution sums up the results of one more stage in the work to ensure the Iranian nuclear program's transparency and we view it as a balanced document reflecting the actual situation," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak said.

    Russia, always favoring broader cooperation between Iran and the IAEA, also hailed Iran's decision to freeze all uranium-enrichment programs, the minister said.

    "This is a voluntary, trust-building measure. We hope this decision will be reliably fulfilled," he added.

    Meanwhile, US President George W. Bush said Tuesday that Iran's agreement to freeze all uranium enrichment activities was a "positive" but "certainly not the final step" in easing US fears that Iran may develop nuclear weapons.

    "The Iranians agreed to suspend -- but not terminate -- their nuclear weapons program. Our position is that they ought to terminate their nuclear weapons program," he said.

    The United States also said on Monday it reserved the right to take Iran's nuclear issue to the Security Council.

    The United States has accused Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly, a charge denied by Tehran which insisted on the peaceful nature of its nuclear plan.

    Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said Monday that Iran would never give in on its rights to peaceful nuclear technology. Enditem