Iran not to retreat from 20 percent uranium enrichment: Khatami
News Code: 80151634 (2623316) Publish Date :
05/03/1391 - 17:08
http://www.irna.ir/News/Politic/Iran-not-to-retreat-from-20-percent-uranium-enrichment,-Khatami/80151634

Tehran, May 25, IRNA – Iran will not retreat from 20 percent uranium
enrichment, Tehran’s interim Friday Prayer Leader Hojjatoleslam Sayed Ahmad
Khatami said here Friday.

In his second sermon of this week's Friday prayers of the capital city, the
cleric noted that westerners have not been bound to their promises in the
past.

“Peaceful nuclear energy is the right of all nations in the world including
Iran; IAEA inspectors have repeatedly visited Iranian nuclear sites but they
couldn’t find any evidence which shows a deviation; it is time for the West
to acquire the trust of the Iranian nation.”

The official also voiced hope that the first presidential election of Egypt
would result in the establishment of an Islamist, anti-Zionist regime in
this region.

Referring to the crackdowns on peaceful protesters in Bahrain, the interim
Tehran Friday prayers leader underscored that the Bahraini nation will stand
against any plan which undermines the sovereignty of their country,
including the reactionary Bahrain-Saudi Arabia unity plan.

Khatami has also warned Azerbaijan Republic's government, noting that the
Azerbaijani officials should care about the Islamic culture of their people
and their relations with the occupying force of Zionist regime; Azerbaijani
officials should take a lesson from the ousted regional dictators, including
the Tunisian Dictator Zein al-Abidin Ben Ali.

He pointed also to a singer who had derided the 10th Imam of Shi'a Muslims,
Imam Ali al-Naghi (P), adding that the evil singer did the job to make happy
the enemies of Islam but it failed to break the holiness of this Imam (P)
and made Shi'a Muslims more vigilant about their religious leaders.

In case of recent nuclear talks between Iran and G5+1, it should be noted
that Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran (SNSCI), Saeed
Jalili had two-day intensive talks with the G5+1, headed by the EU Foreign
Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, on Iran nuclear issue.

EU foreign policy chief, who headed the delegations of the six world powers
in negotiations with Tehran, announced in the joint press conference with
Jalili that the two sides made progress and held positive talks in Baghdad
on Wednesday and Thursday.

Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Iran also said on Thursday
that the Tehran-G5+1 talks were held in a good atmosphere.

The Baghdad meeting came after Iran and the six world powers resumed talks
in Istanbul, Turkey, last month and agreed to meet again in the Iraqi
capital on May 23.

The two sides are due to continue their negotiations in the Russian capital,
Moscow, on June 18 and 19.

Furthermore, in case of the ongoing regional Islamic Awakening, it is
important to know that since the beginning of 2011, the Muslim world has
witnessed popular uprisings and revolutions similar to what happened in Iran
in 1979. Tunisia saw the overthrow of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in a popular
revolution in January, which was soon followed by a revolution which toppled
Hosni Mubarak in Egypt in February.

Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Yemen have since been the
scene of protests against their totalitarian rulers, who have resorted to
brutal crackdown on demonstrations to silence their critics.

Bahrain however, has experienced the deadliest clashes. Anti-government
protesters have been holding peaceful demonstrations across Bahrain since
mid-February, calling for an end to the Al Khalifa dynasty's over-40-year
rule.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80151634