Iran Won't Back Down

Any Military Aggression against Iran Wouldn't Go Without Response- Larijani

If other party opts for negotiations, then we are ready to resolve the issue, but if it adopts the language of force and bullying, then resistance will definitely be Iran's response.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani stressed that any military aggression against his country wouldn't go without a response. "Any military action would naturally receive a military response," Larijani told reporters after a meeting with the official in charge of Lebanon's Islamic Amal Front here in Tehran on Wednesday.

Asked about the results of talks between his strategic deputy and Russian officials and whether Moscow has described implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1737 as a precondition for the completion of the construction works at Bushehr nuclear power plant, he said, "No one has ever told us so, but Russia's delay in launching the operation of Bushehr power plant is a problem which must be solved by the Russian government." "This issue could harm the future relations of the Russian government which must show a trade-oriented attitude towards other countries," the nuclear official continued. He added, "Russians never tell us to suspend our nuclear activities.

They have, rather, told us that they accept our rights." The official said that there exists no ambiguous point about Bushehr power plant, adding, "We insist that the plant should be launched in accordance with the contract time-schedule and we will publicize any violation of rules and regulations if such a thing happens."

He also mentioned that talks still continue between deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) for International Affairs Mohammad Sa'eedi and Russian officials in this regard. Larijani, who is also Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, further referred to the efforts made by the group 5+1 - the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany - to pass a resolution against Iran, and stated that many 5+1 member states share common interests with Iran, while they don't share fully identical stances among themselves.

Asked if Iran is still ready to discuss the issue of nuclear suspension in the course of talks, he said, "There are now other issues at work," adding that the offer belongs to the past. "Now the issue has grown deeper than before and it must be dealt with in a new round of studies. What matters is the existence of a will for the settlement of the problem," Larijani continued.

Meantime, he reminded that the kind of attitude shown by the UN Security Council towards Iran's nuclear issue now does not indicate the other party's intention for solving the issue, "and thus, our position today is insisting on our right, which is nuclearization of Iran." "Any miscalculations by the other party will end up to their own loss.

If they opt for negotiations, then we are ready to resolve the issue, but if they adopt the language of force and bullying, then resistance will definitely be Iran's response," Larijani continued.
BAZTAB - March .14 , 2007

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