Iran Sees Little Nuclear
Treaty Benefit - Speaker
Iran
has said it sees little benefit from its membership of the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a day after Tehran announced
plans to build 10 uranium enrichment plants.
Parliament speaker, Ali Larijani said on Monday news conference,
“I believe that their moves are harming the NPT the most ... now
whether you are a member of the NPT or pull out of it has no
difference."
Larijani is an influential conservative politician and his
comments are seen as a further sign of deteriorating relations
between Iran and world powers seeking a diplomatic solution to a
long-running row over Iran's nuclear program.
The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi,
said the decision to build the new enrichment plants was a
direct response to the IAEA condemnation.
Russia said it was seriously concerned by the proposal for a
major expansion of Iran's atomic program. Washington has
condemned the plans as “serious violation” of Tehran’s
obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Withdrawal
Top Iranian officials have repeatedly said Tehran has no
intention to leave the NPT, under which its nuclear sites are
subject to regular U.N. nuclear watchdog inspections, or seek
nuclear weapons, it says violate the tenets of Islam.
The 35-nation IAEA board angered Iran on Friday when it censured
it for secretly building a second uranium enrichment plant in a
mountain bunker near the holy city of Qom, in addition to one in
Natanz.
Hitting back, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government on
Sunday announced the plans for the 10 new enrichment plants.
Ahmadinejad said Iran should aim to produce 250-300 metric tons
of nuclear fuel a year and that new, faster centrifuge should be
used to reach that target. He did not give a time frame.
REUTERS/Yinka
