Ahmadinejad: We'll soon complete nuclear plan
Iranian president expresses pride on near completion of nuclear fuel program. Iranian officials say country plans on generating 20,000 megawatts of electricity through nuclear energy in next two decades
“With the wisdom and resistance of the nation, today our position has stabilized. I’m very hopeful that we will be able to hold the big celebration of Iran’s full nuclearization in the current year,” the hard-line president told reporters during a press conference.
Iran’s current calendar year ends on March 20. The hard-line president also claimed that the international community was caving in to Tehran’s demands to continue its nuclear program.
“Initially, they (the US and its allies) were very angry. The reason was clear: They basically wanted to monopolize nuclear power in order to rule the world and impose their will on nations,” Ahmadinejad said.
'World accepts nuclear Iran'
“Today, they have finally agreed to live with a nuclear Iran, with an Iran possessing nuclear fuel cycle,” he said, without elaborating.
Iran has been locked in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program. The United States and its European allies have been seeking a UN Security Council resolution imposing impose sanctions on Tehran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.
Russia, which is backed by China, has opposes tough action advocated by the US, Britain and France, and its amendments to a Western draft resolution would reduce sanctions and delete language that would cut off Iran’s access to foreign missile technology.
The US and some of its allies allege that Iran is developing nuclear weapons and are suspicious of its intentions after Tehran concealed parts of its nuclear development from UN inspectors for many years. But Tehran claims its program is peaceful and for generating electricity.
Uranium enrichment at low levels can be used to produce fuel to generate electricity but at higher levels can be use to make atomic bombs.
Iran has said it will never give up its right under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel. Officials have said they plan to generate 20,000 megawatts of electricity through nuclear energy in the next two decades.
