Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

    by Liang Youchang

    TEHRAN, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Saturday defied a UN Security Council resolution that imposes sanctions on Tehran as an "illegal measure," vowing to push ahead with its nuclear plans.

    Ordinary Iranians showed mixed feelings toward the resolution, with some considering it as "waging a war" and others shrugging it off as nothing serious.

    Meanwhile, the United States said on Saturday that the resolution was not enough, urging the international community to take more actions against the Islamic Republic.

    "Illegal measure"

    Shortly after the UN Security Council voted unanimously to impose sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear activities, the Iranian Foreign Ministry lashed out at the resolution as an "illegal measure."

    Iran considers the resolution as "an illegal measure taken outside the framework of its duty and against the UN Charter," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said in a statement carried on the state television.

    The resolution will not stop Iran's nuclear progress and Iran will push ahead with its peaceful nuclear programs, he said, adding that Iran would carry out its plan to install 3,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges.

    Iran will work to "make operational the 3,000 centrifuges in Natanz as a continuation of its peaceful nuclear activities," he said.

    "The United States and Britain used all their political and legal might to convince the UN Security Council to approve the new resolution ... but it should be noted that these two fading powers can not prevent the development of the Iranian nation through threats and bullying acts," Hosseini said.

    The resolution demanded that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development," and "work on all heavy water-related projects."

    It also called on all countries to impose a ban on trade with Iran in goods related to its nuclear programs and ballistic missile delivery systems.

    Mixed feelings

    On Tehran's streets, anger, indifference and concerns were shown by ordinary people after the UN Security Council passed the resolution.

    "This is like waging a war against a nation which wants to be independent and make progress," said Ali Kazemi, who runs a small car repair shop in Tehran's central Imam Khomeini Avenue.

    "Our officials should not tolerate such a humiliation," he added.
Mahmoud Yarandi, a taxi driver, dismissed the sanctions as "ridiculous" and said that Iranians have been used to threats.

    "It has been for about 25 years that we have been sanctioned, but the measures have only resulted in something the West did not expect," he said.

    "This time, you should not expect something serious to happen either," Yarandi said. "We have a big and powerful country here."

    But some Iranians voiced concerns over international sanctions against their country.

    "I don't think they (the sanctions) will affect our lives for now. But it is not a good thing to be isolated. I don't know what will happen next," said Ebrahim, a money exchange clerk who only gave his first name.