IRAN: Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi says no need to refer its nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council

Record ID: 316288

  • Title: IRAN: Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi says no need to refer its nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council
  • Date: 20th November 2005
  • Summary: (W3) TEHRAN, IRAN (NOVEMBER, 20, 2005) (REUTERS) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN HAMID REZA ASEFI AT PODIUM HAMID REZA ASEFI SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, HAMID REZA ASEFI, SAYING: "So far we have not received any kind of proposal by Russian, that is also what Mr. Ivanov stressed than expressed. he said that there was no su
  • Embargoed: 5th December 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Science / Technology,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVA9M4VTN5WH0OT02XA34XYZUY1F
  • Story Text: Iran said on Sunday (November 20) any decision to refer its nuclear case to the U.N. Security Council for possible sanctions would be purely political and not based on evidence Tehran was trying to build a nuclear weapon.
    Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a news briefing that there was no "legal or logical" reason for Iran's case to be referred. Iranian lawmakers on Sunday voted to oblige their government to stop allowing snap U.N. checks of atomic sites and to resume uranium enrichment if Tehran is sent to the U.N. Security Council. In the vote, broadcast live on state radio, 183 out of 197 lawmakers present voted for the bill. The legislation must now be approved by Iran's constitutional watchdog, the conservative 12-man Guardian Council. Iran faces referral to New York for possible sanctions after failing to convince the world its atomic scientists are focusing on power stations rather than warheads.
    The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will meet in Vienna on Thursday to decide on what steps to take with Iran's case. Iran's chief atomic negotiator Ali Larijani has previously threatened to end snap checks and resume enrichment if Tehran's case is sent to New York. But parliament's bill turns this threat into law which the government must follow.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register