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TEHRAN, June 15: Iran reacted to fresh pressure from the UN nuclear watchdog Tuesday by threatening to reconsider its cooperation with inspectors trying to verify suspicions it is secretly developing atomic weapons.
As diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna mulled a tough European-drafted resolution that criticises Iran's failure to fully come clean, top regime officials here said they would not tolerate what they saw as a US-Israeli plot.
The new conservative speaker of parliament, Gholam Ali Hadad-Adel, warned the assembly may not ratify the additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) allowing tougher UN inspections.
"The three European countries are demanding parliament adopt the protocol, but I say to France, Germany and Britain not to tell the Iranian parliament what to do," he told deputies.
"The Iranian parliament does not take orders from foreigners, because these orders do not reflect the interests of the Iranian people. If we consider it to be in the interests of the Iranian people we will adopt it, if not we will not," he said.
He also warned the Europeans not to "fall into the trap of the Zionists", a reference to Iran's oft-mentioned enemies in Israel and the United States. And according to press reports, President Mohammad Khatami has also told Britain, France and Germany in writing to ease the pressure, or risk pushing Iran to consider "other alternatives".
Khatami also reportedly accused the so-called Euro-3 of aligning themselves with Iran's arch-enemy, the United States.
US WARNING: The United States on Tuesday warned Iran to stop its "threats and other posturing" and begin cooperating with the UN's nuclear watchdog if it wants to disprove US allegations it is secretly developing atomic weapons.
The State Department said indignant responses from Tehran to new pressure from the International Atomic Energy Agency to come clean on its nuclear programme were leading nowhere and demanded that Iran stop bucking demands for the Islamic republic to meet stated pledges to cooperate with the IAEA.
"We and others have made clear all along that Iran has obligations under its international agreements, Iran has requirements from the (IAEA) board and Iran has commitments that Iran has made itself that we and others expect Iran to live up to," spokesman Richard Boucher said. "That's what we expect Iran to meet and threats and other posturing don't get us anywhere," he told reporters. -AFP
