Iran threatens to halt confidence-building if nuclear talks fail

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani warned Saturday Tehran will stop all confidence-building measures if the ongoing nuclear negotiations with the European Union (EU) fail.

"If the talks fail due to the US pressure and Iran's nuclear case is sent to the UN Security Council, we will stop all confidence-building measures and the regional security will face problems," Rowhani said.

Rowhani made the comments at the International Conference on Nuclear Technology and Sustainable Development, which was kicked off Saturday in Tehran.

Meanwhile, the nuclear negotiator vowed to press the talks forward, voicing optimism about its result.

"The negotiations should continue and we are optimistic about its outcomes," he said, adding that Tehran will be committed to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and its additional protocols.

"Iran and the EU will reach an agreement if the US stops imposing pressure. The Europeans do not intend to sacrifice its prestige to deprive Iran of its legal rights," he said.

Rowhani further said Iran had finished the whole process of producing nuclear fuel but it would never pursue nuclear weapons.

"Iran has completed all necessary researches for nuclear fuel production for peaceful use, which equips the country with the potentialities and technology for fuel production," the official said.

"However, due to our religious and moral beliefs, the Iranians will never convert its nuclear activities into military use," Rowhani said, adding Iran had been the victim of weapons of mass destruction.

Iran, accused of developing nuclear weapons secretly by the United States, has been under increasing pressure to be more transparent in its cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Tehran suspended all activities related to uranium enrichment as a confidence-building measure last November.

The EU, broker of Iran's nuclear issue, has been endeavoring to encourage Iran to halt its highly sensitive activities on the construction of nuclear reactors in exchange for a wholesale of economic and technological incentives.

The IAEA Board of Governors' meeting on Thursday called on Iran to do more in the cooperation with the agency.

Source: Xinhua