Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad vowed on Thursday Tehran would not give up the country’s right to nuclear technology, but said he was ready to co-operate on nuclear fuel.
“As long as this government is in power, it will not retreat one iota on the undeniable rights of the Iranian nation,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northeastern city of Mashhad, broadcast live on state television. He said the provision of nuclear fuel for a Tehran research reactor was an opportunity for Iran to evaluate the “honesty” of world powers and the U.N. nuclear agency watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “We welcome cooperation on nuclear fuel, power plants and technology and we are ready to cooperate,” Ahmadinejad added.
On the other hand, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s mission to a newly disclosed plant in Iran said the inspectors had what he termed a good trip but he declined to give any details.
