TEHRAN, Jan. 14--President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday Iran would not back down over the nuclear program even if ordered to do so by the UN Security Council.
Addressing domestic and foreign reporters at a press conference, the president said, “Even if the Security Council becomes involved, it will not help resolve the issue. We are not interested in going down this path, but if some people insist on depriving the Iranian people of their rights, they should know that such a thing will not happen.“
Ahmadinejad further said the atomic bomb presents a violent image of countries producing them, ISNA reported.
“If we were to manage the world, we would even dismantle the missile system. We believe in dialogue and not nuclear weapons. When Israel’s foundations are shaken by a question, then we do not need the atomic bomb. Today rationality and wisdom prevail in the world,“ he said.
Explaining his recent comment on the holocaust of Jews during World War II being a myth and the illegitimacy of the state of Israel, he said, “I raised two questions, to which I have not yet received specific answers. The first question was: Where did the people committing crimes in Palestine come from? É The second question was whether the West believes the holocaust actually took place É If they (the westerners) are responsible for this situation, then they should compensate for it. Why should others pay the price for their deeds?“
In relation to the latest developments regarding Iran’s nuclear issue, he said, “Those who believe they have more rights than other nations when they have more chemical warfare are badly mistaken. Based on the regulations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), all member-states have the right to gain access to peaceful nuclear technology and no pretexts can prevent them from doing so. Those who themselves have nuclear weapons claim to confront nuclear weapons.“
The chief executive stressed that although they have carried out unprecedented inspections of Iranian nuclear sites and found no traces of nuclear weapons in Iran, they want to monopolize nuclear energy and then sell it to other countries at high costs.
“Now they are telling us that suspension of uranium enrichment operations should be permanent and that we should build trust with them. But our stance is that for two and a half years we tried to build up trust and it is now the turn of the West to build trust. We do not trust their integrity. They do not have the right to oppose our nuclear research. Isn’t this attitude reminiscent of the medieval ages?“ he asked.
Ahmadinejad maintained that the country should move towards advancement and being an exemplary Islamic society.
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