IRAN: On the anniversary of the revolution, Iran's president says that Iran has the right to a develop its nuclear programme

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday that Iran had a right to develop the technology to make nuclear fuel despite Western pressure and that his country wanted to work within international rules. Meanwhile after a meeting with EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solanda, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said that Iran is not developing nuclear weapons as it fears it could lead to an arms race in the region. Iran's president said on Sunday (February 11) Iran wanted talks to resolve its nuclear dispute with the West but insisted the Islamic Republic would not suspend sensitive atomic work. But Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made no major announcement of progress in Iran's nuclear programme, despite earlier speculation by some that he might announce the start of work on 3,000 new centrifuges. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was marking the 28th anniversary of Iran's revolution by pledging to maintain the country's nuclear programme but saying he wanted to remain within international rules. "Everyone is aware that the nation of Iran has acted within its rights and regulations, and the legal framework of the agency," he said in a speech broadcast on state television. He added that Iran would was ready for talks but was not willing to suspend its activities and that in fact it would be a "humiliation" for Iran to abandon its nuclear programme. Thousands of people with banners and Iranian flags gathered in Azadi (Freedom) square to hear Ahmadinejad, who had said Iran was there to celebrate its nuclear achievements on the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution. Ahmadinejad, under pressure at home to tone down a confrontation with the west, ruled out a U.N. demand to suspend uranium enrichment while also saying he wanted to remain within international rules. But supporters of Ahmadinejad attending a rally in Tehran's Azadi Square remained defiant. "Nuclear energy is the Iranian nation's right and ....we should make use of this right," one man said. "I don't think that sanctions will be hugely problematic for us, because over the past eight years we have managed to get by regardless of the sanctions, economic sanctions, and I don't think that this will be something that would stop us from getting on with our work," another woman said. Iran already runs two cascades of 164 centrifuges at the Natanz underground plant, but plans to install thousands of centrifuges and start "industrial-scale" enrichment. The United States has accused Iran of having a secret programme to build nuclear weapons. Tehran says its nuclear programme is only for power generation. Meanwhile in Germany, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Sunday (February 11) he had reached no agreement over Iran's disputed nuclear programme after he met the Islamic state's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. "We have had a good meeting, not very long," Solana told reporters, adding that Larijani would continue talks with other western politicians on Sunday. "We will try to see if we can ... find any possible solutions," he said Iran has until Feb. 21 to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can make fuel for power stations or, if greatly enriched, material for warheads. A U.N. sanctions resolution passed in December threatened further measures if Iran refuses.

ITN Source | February 11, 2007

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