Iran reacts to US-drafted resolution

After a new US-prepared draft resolution against Iran was made public, Tehran accused the West of inventing excuses to exert political pressure on the country.

The new draft resolution, which was detailed on Wednesday, calls on Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities or face further UN Security Council sanctions.

The draft, if ratified, will ban countries from selling new categories of heavy weaponry to Iran.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said the move was aimed at drawing Iran into political confrontation.

“They are always looking for excuses and pretexts to exert political pressure on Iran. Their main aim and purpose is to divert Iran into confrontation with the West [although] we have always stated that we are not after confrontation, we are after cooperation” Salehi told Press TV on Wednesday.

The draft resolution came two days after Iran announced a nuclear declaration regarding a nuclear fuel swap with the West under which Tehran would send some 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in exchange for a total of 120 kg of higher enriched uranium.

The declaration came as part of an earlier plan to supply fuel for the Tehran research reactor which produces medical isotopes for cancer patients.

While the UN, Russia and China hailed the declaration, the US said that Washington and its allies were “seriously concerned” about the nuclear program although the transfer of low-enriched uranium outside Iranian soil would be a positive step.

Salehi said that the new declaration left no excuse for the West to block efforts to end a standoff over Tehran’s nuclear program, as Iran has accepted their prior condition to ship out its uranium to a third country.

“Their previous excuse was that Iran has not accepted [their] demand to ship out 1,200 kilograms of its 3.5 percent-enriched uranium. They insistently said that it is Iran that is avoiding the acceptance of the proposal. Now that we have accepted this condition, they are creating other excuses.”

Iran had earlier refused to ship out its uranium, citing guarantee concerns. Iranian officials believe that the new declaration can provide Tehran with genuine guarantees over the fuel delivery.

The declaration stipulates that Ankara hold Tehran’s low-enriched uranium and return it in the event that Iran does not receive the higher enriched uranium from potential suppliers within a specific time period.