Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad rejected on Wednesday as ”illegal” a United Nations nuclear watchdog resolution over the country’s disputed nuclear activities, state television reported.
Ahmadinejad also said Israel could not do a ”damn thing” to stop the Islamic state’s nuclear programme, which the West suspects is a front to build bombs. Iran denies the claim.
”Under pressure of a few superficially powerful countries … the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed an illegal resolution against the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech in the central city of Isfahan.
The IAEA passed a resolution on Friday censuring Iran for covertly constructing a second enrichment plant near the holy city of Qom, in addition to its IAEA-monitored one at Natanz, and demanding a construction halt.
Tehran said on Sunday it would build 10 more uranium enrichment sites in retaliation for the resolution, which sailed through with unusual Russian and Chinese support.
Israel, which Iran refuses to recognise, has said a nuclear-armed Iran would be a threat to its existence and points to Ahmadinejad’s calls for Israel to be wiped off the map.
That has raised concerns that Israel could ultimately carry out a military strike against Iranian nuclear sites.
United States President Barack Obama said Washington wanted Iran’s nuclear dispute to be resolved through diplomacy but has not ruled out other options.
Ahmadinejad said Israel could not harm Iran, ruling out any further talks with six major powers over the nuclear dispute.
”The Zionist regime [Israel] and its [Western] backers can not do a damn thing to stop Iran’s nuclear work,” Ahmadinejad told a crowd to chants of ”Death to Israel” and ”Death to America”. — Reuters