6 April 2009

Iran will not suspend its disputed nuclear program even if the United States imposes sanctions targeting companies that ship fuel to the Islamic Republic, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.
 
Twenty-five U.S. senators from both parties have proposed giving President Barack Obama new leverage in the dispute over Tehran's nuclear program. The bill gives Obama the authority to sanction companies supplying petrol to Iran.
 
The United States and its Western allies suspect Iran is aiming to develop nuclear bombs under the cover of a civilian program and want it to halt sensitive uranium enrichment. Iran rejects the allegation and says it will not bow to pressure.
 
"We can cope with such measures (U.S. sanctions). Sanctions and threats will not stop Iran from continuing its nuclear work," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told a weekly news conference.
 
Iran is the world's fourth-largest oil exporter but lacks refining capacity to meet domestic demand and so relies heavily on international imports to guarantee fuel at the pumps.
 
Washington has threatened "crippling" sanctions against Iran if it did not end its sensitive nuclear activities.

Ahmadinejad: Israel Must Stop Crimes or Regime Will be Uprooted

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stressed Sunday Israel must stop its crimes against the Palestinians “or the strong hands of the nation will root the zionist entity out.” In a speech in the city of Karaj, the Iranian President said that the zionists had told lies to create the ‘germ of Israel.” 'Just as it was created, it can be dismantled,' Ahmadinejad added according to the Iranian official news agency IRIB.
 
"The era of aggression of the Zionist regime and its supporters has come to an end...Just as the zionist entity was created, it can be dismantled."
 
Ahmadinejad said that "for 60 years, they have told lies and tried to defraud nations in order to create the germ called the zionist regime" and added that "zionism contributes nothing other than aggression, mass murder, terror and threats."
 
“Recently, the zionist entity gave the Palestinian people an ultimatum to leave their homes in order to destroy them and place a pack of professional thieves, who come from other places in the world, in their place," he said.  
 
“Where is the United Nations Secretary-General to transfer the cry of the Palestinian people to the ears of the world? Where are the supporters of human rights and democracy?" the Iranian President asked.
 
He also affirmed his intent to continue the nuclear program, saying that "Iran will stay unified until it achieves all the rights it deserves."  
 
Ahmadinejad praised the Iranian people for showing unity and support to the government of the Islamic Republic. “This is why this people has been steadfast in front of the West and has surmounted threats.” “They used to believe that they had a strong foundation to attack Iran so they began threatening us with military assault. If they had seen the slightest weakness in the ranks of the Iranian people they would have launched their all-out attack,” Ahmadinejad said.