Tehran shows no sign of giving in to Western pressure

Tehran/Washington: Iran briefed foreign envoys in Tehran about its nuclear programme yesterday, showing no sign of bowing to Western pressure in the face of new UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic, diplomats said.

The Security Council is expected to vote this week on wider sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, whose product can be used to generate electricity or, more highly enriched, to make atom bombs. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Tehran's position on what it sees as its national right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes in his meeting with the ambassadors.

Iran's ILNA news agency confirmed the meeting, quoting Araghchi as saying about the planned new UN resolution: "Right now the Security Council is intending to pass another resolution against Iran's peaceful nuclear activities, which does not have any legal or legitimate basis. Iran is completely ready both for the path of cooperation and that of confrontation."

US approves visa

Meanwhile, the United States has approved a visa for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to enable him to address the Security Council over Tehran's nuclear programme, the State Department said yesterday.