Iranian president warns backers of Security Council nuclear resolution against his country, says those who voted for sanctions would soon regret it. 'We will celebrate our atomic achievements in February,' he adds
Iran
condemned a UN sanctions resolution as "a piece of torn paper" that would not scare Tehran and vowed on Sunday to accelerate uranium enrichment work immediately.
The UN Security Council voted unanimously
on Saturday to impose sanctions on Iran's trade in sensitive nuclear materials and technology, in an attempt to stop uranium enrichment work that could produce material to be used in bombs.
American Stance
US: Further steps needed on Iran / Dudi Cohen
After UN unanimously approves sanctions, Iran nation insists on continuing nuclear program. US: We want international community to take further action. We're certainly not going to put all our eggs in the UN basket
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said those who backed the UN resolution, drawn up by Britain, France and Germany but supported unanimously by the Security Council, would soon regret their "superficial act".
"It is a piece of torn paper ... by which they aim to scare Iranians ... It is in the Westerners' interest to live with a nuclear Iran," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.
"Give up this Muppet game. You (the backers of the resolution) cannot send secret friendly messages to us and at the same time show your teeth and claws. End this dual game," Ahmadinejad was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying in a speech at the former US embassy in Tehran.
Iran insists its nuclear development, which had been carried out for many years in conditions of strict secrecy, is intended only for purposes of electrical power and denies Western accusations it seeks nuclear weapons.
'We will go ahead with full speed'
Chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, reacted swiftly
to the vote.
"We will start our installation activities (of 3,000 centrifuges) at the Natanz facility from Sunday," he told the Kayhan newspaper. "It is our immediate answer to the resolution and we will go ahead with full speed."
Acting US Ambassador Alejandro Wolff told the council before Saturday's 15-0 vote, which followed two months of tough negotiations: "Today we are placing Iran in the small category of states under Security Council sanctions."
Iran, which refused to end its uranium enrichment work in exchange for economic incentives earlier this year, says the resolution is an illegal measure outside the council's jurisdiction.
China immediately called for a resumption of talks to attempt to defuse the confrontation.
"The Chinese side calls on all sides to continue all-out diplomatic efforts to push for an early resumption of talks and seek a long-term, comprehensive solution," said a Foreign Ministry statement on Sunday, adding that Beijing backed the UN.
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