1938 Alert from Iran Focus, with thanks to JE:
Tehran, Iran, Jun. 04 — Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that Iran had an “inalienable right” to carry out uranium enrichment and that it was not willing to negotiate over the matter with any other country, state television reported on Sunday.
“Production of nuclear fuel technology for peaceful purposes is part of our inalienable and legal rights and we will not negotiate with anyone over our rights”, Ahmadinejad said at a ceremony at the tomb of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on Saturday.
“Negotiating over the inalienable right of a nation is tantamount to negotiating over the country”s independence. We will not negotiate with anyone over our independence”, he said.
The hard-line president said that the Tehran was not prepared to hold talks with preconditions, adding that it was in no rush to take a position on the latest package of incentives that it will be offered in the coming days in exchange for it to abandon its uranium enrichment activities.