Iran vows to enrich uranium if sent to UN council

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran said on Tuesday it would resume
uranium enrichment and review its policy of allowing short
notice inspections of its nuclear facilities if sent to the
U.N. Security Council.

The EU is ratcheting up the pressure on Iran, seeking to
report it to the Security Council for violating international
atomic obligations.

“If we are sent to the U.N. Security Council, we will
review our stance on the additional protocol and will not
hesitate to resume uranium enrichment,” Iran’s chief nuclear
negotiator Ali Larijani told reporters.

The additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) allows snap inspections of atomic sites.

Iran has resumed parts of its nuclear fuel cycle, suspected
by Washington of being part of a bomb program, but has stopped
short of actually enriching uranium.

Tehran argues it has every right to enrich the uranium it
mines in its central deserts for use in electricity-generating
power stations.

“If they threaten to use force against the Iranian nation,
Iran will review its perspective on the International Atomic
Energy Agency and the NPT,” he added.

Larijani said the international community should learn from
the lessons of NPT-quitter North Korea against which he said
pressure had proved useless.

“After two years you admitted it had a right to uranium
enrichment, so you you should accept our right now,” he said.

Larijani also warned that the world’s fourth biggest oil
producer would link its stance on foreign countries’ access to
energy resources to whether they stood with Iran on its nuclear
plans.

“The Supreme National Security Council is determined to
balance the two issues,” he said.