Iran complains of nuclear bullying

Critics of Iran's nuclear program are "bullying" Iran, its current president and a former president declared Friday, as they put up a united front a day after the United Nations' nuclear watchdog issued a report that opens the way for additional sanctions against Iran.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and influential former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani lashed out in separate speeches Friday at Western countries and the U.N. Security Council, though without naming them directly.

Their comments appeared as senior diplomats from the five permanent Security Council members and Germany prepared to meet on Monday in London to start work on a new resolution to try to pressure Iran to suspend its nuclear program.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns, who announced the London meeting in Washington, said Iran was "effectively thumbing its nose at the international community."

The speeches by Ahmadinejad and Rafsanjani appeared to show that the Iranian ruling establishment is closing ranks in the face of new measures against Iran.

Divisions emerged over Ahmadinejad's handling of the nuclear standoff following the council's adoption of limited economic sanctions against Iran in December.

Some Iranians believe Ahmadinejad has been too antagonistic of the U.S. and its allies. Rafsanjani in recent weeks has emerged as a high-level advocate of a more conciliatory stance toward the West in the nuclear dispute.

Ahmadinejad told thousands of people gathered in a northern Iranian town, "The Iranian nation has resisted all bullies and corrupt powers and it will fully defend its rights," state television quoted him as saying.

The hardline president appeared to dismiss the International Atomic Energy Agency report, which said Tehran had expanded its program of uranium enrichment and continued to build a heavy water reactor and related facilities. (Read the full report)

"If a few states do not believe that Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful, this is of no importance whatsoever," state television quoted the president as telling a rally in Fuman.

"This is the spirit of arrogance and culture of aggressive powers," the official Islamic Republic News Agency also quoted Ahmadinejad as saying during the same speech.

"If you pull back, they will push ahead but if you stand against them, because of this resistance, they will back off."

Meanwhile, the former President Rafsanjani told worshippers gathered for Friday prayers in Tehran that Western countries would fail to achieve anything by "bullying" Iran.

Rafsanjani, a high-ranking cleric, holds seats on two of Iran's most important government bodies.

"Following yesterday's report, they again began a harsh steps and threats while thinking about another resolution," Rafsanjani said in the speech broadcast live by state radio, adding "they will get nowhere this way."

The IAEA's report follows the expiration Wednesday of a 60-day grace period for Iran to halt uranium enrichment.

In a warning to the U.S. and its Western allies who want Iran to roll back its nuclear program, Rafsanjani said, "If you continue this bullying way, you will definitely make many troubles for yourselves, the world and the region."

But he also reiterated Iran's offer for talks. "We -- all of us, our officials, our leader -- are ready to provide you full assurances."
Three demands

The Security Council issued three demands to Iran when it adopted its resolution December 23 -- freeze uranium enrichment, stop building heavy water facilities and fully cooperate with the IAEA.

The U.S. and its Western allies have insisted Iran must suspend enrichment before it will enter any negotiations over its nuclear program -- a condition Tehran has rejected as it pushes ahead with developing its enrichment facilities.

Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, but the U.S. and other Western countries accuse it of using it as a cover to develop weapons.

Among the permanent council members meeting in London on Monday, Britain and France are likely to join the U.S. in a call for harsher sanctions than Russia and China, which both have strong commercial ties to Tehran, will accept.

Diplomats said Thursday that new measures under consideration include a mandatory travel ban against individuals on the U.N. list, new individuals and companies subject to sanctions, additional prohibited items, economic measures such as a ban on export guarantees to Iran, and an expansion of the nuclear embargo to an arms embargo.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Burns said a new resolution was needed to "see Iran repudiated again" but said it was too soon to say what provisions the resolution might contain.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said he had "no substantive comment" on the IAEA report. "We should not lose sight of the goal -- and the goal is not to have a resolution or to impose sanctions," Churkin said. "The goal is to accomplish a political outcome."
Council unity

Several council diplomats have stressed the importance of maintaining council unity on a new resolution -- even if means sacrificing tougher sanctions.

Stressing the importance of unity, U.S. deputy ambassador Jackie Sanders said Thursday "we do need to ratchet up the pressure and Iran needs to see an international community that stays coordinated and showing common purpose to have them stop what they're doing in developing nuclear weapons."

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy echoed the importance, saying, "unity and firmness are ... the only effective instruments we have to get Iran to turn toward the international community, and away from isolation."

"We support a second resolution, to be passed unanimously by the Security Council, to continue sanctions," he said.

Two diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations haven't even started, spoke of an "incremental" strengthening of sanctions in a new resolution to ensure that unity is preserved.

The permanent council members believe the initial sanctions have had some positive effects. Iran now says it wants negotiations, though it still refuses to suspend enrichment.

Whether new sanctions can bring Tehran to comply with the council's demands remains to be seen.

"It's Iran's refusal to talk which right now has gotten Iran in a lot of hot water," said Burns. "Iran is increasingly isolated, and we hope Iran is going to choose negotiations."

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.