Ahmadinejad: Iran Determined to Materialize Rights

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played down western threats against Tehran, underlining that the Islamic Republic will never give up even an iota of its rights.

“They (West) should know that this (Iranian) nation will not retreat even an iota from its inalienable rights,” Ahmadinejad said, referring to the successive Western sanctions on Iran over its peaceful nuclear program.

Earlier in the month, US President Barack Obama ordered the treasury department to target foreign entities and individuals who evade the US sanctions against Iran.

Iranian Foreign Ministry has said that any new sanctions against Iran by the West will “affect the spirit” of the talks between Tehran and the six world powers in Baghdad later this month.

After more than a year of stalled talks, Iran and the six world powers resumed negotiations in Istanbul last month and they are due to meet again in Baghdad later this month.

Iranian officials say they are optimistic that the talks with United States, Russia, China, Germany, France and Britain will make progress, but they underline their expectations that the negotiations should lead to an end of sanctions.

Iranian lawmaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel reiterated the need for the West to annul the sanctions against Iran.

“Lifting sanctions is our least expectation,” added Haddad Adel.