Iran Supreme Leader vows to resist US demands

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today called the stand-off over Tehran’s nuclear activities an unwarranted “Western outcry” and vowed not to surrender his country’s nuclear programme.

His comments came as the US warned continued defiance could result in tough measures by the UN Security Council.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not succumb to these pressures and it considers the continuation (of its nuclear programme) a main objective,” state-run television quoted Khamenei as saying.

Speaking to Iranian nuclear experts in Tehran, Khamenei said achieving nuclear technology was more important than mining for oil in Iran, where oil revenue makes up 80% of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

“Let me tell you, the importance of achieving and using nuclear energy is higher than oil exploration for our country,” he was quoted as saying.

The United States and Europe today urged Iran to lift a veil of secrecy over its nuclear activities and freeze uranium enrichment, with Washington warning that continued defiance could result in tough measures by the UN Security Council.

Tehran denies accusations by the US and its allies that Iran is seeking enrichment to develop nuclear weapons, saying its programme would only generate energy.

Members of the UN Security Council and Germany have offered Tehran a package of incentives in return for talks. It calls for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for the duration of any negotiations, and sets out the priority of a long-term moratorium on such activity until the international community is convinced that Tehran’s nuclear aims are peaceful.

Also today, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran was ready to enter negotiations on the incentives offer, after meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Shanghai.

Ahmadinejad was expected to hold a separate meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, in hopes of drumming up support on the nuclear issue. He was in China to join the leaders of Russia, China and four central Asian countries who comprise the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation, or SCO.

On Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said his government found parts of the Western incentives package “acceptable,” but said some other parts should be removed.

Asefi did not elaborate on which parts he was referring to, but his comments reflected Iran’s intention to seek changes in the offer.

The package included some significant concessions by the US, aimed at enticing Tehran to freeze enrichment. The US would provide Iran with peaceful nuclear technology, lift some sanctions and join direct negotiations with Tehran.

The package also pulls back from demands that Iran outright scrap its enrichment program as an initial condition for negotiations, seeking instead a suspension. However, it also contains the implicit threat of UN sanctions if Iran remains defiant.

When presented with the proposal’s details last week, Iran said they contain “positive steps” but also ambiguities, which it said had to be cleared up in further talks. It said it would study the package before announcing its stance.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who presented the offer to Tehran, said he expected a reply within “weeks”.

Iran has consistently refused to give up enrichment, a process that can produce either fuel for a nuclear reactor or the material for a nuclear warhead.

Iran insists its programme is peaceful and that it has the right to develop enrichment – though it has signalled it might compromise on large-scale enrichment.