Iran's hardline President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, seen in this file photo, on Wednesday stayed defiant on the
country's nuclear program, warning that the Western countries can not
isolate the Iranian people through more sanctions. (Xinhua/Reuters.
File Photo) Photo
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TEHRAN, March 14 (Xinhua) -- 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.
ELGRADE, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Iran still hoped a
diplomatic solution to its nuclear program issue could be achieved in spite of
efforts by the West to pass a new UN Security Council resolution stepping up
sanctions, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in the Slovenian
capital Ljubljana on Wednesday.
Mottaki reiterated Iran's insistence that its nuclear
program was "peaceful" during his meetings with Slovenian Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel, Prime Minister Janez Jansa and President Janez Drnovsek, the
Slovenian national news agency STA reported.
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