New Iran president plans new nuclear ideas
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-13 08:30

Iran's president-elect promised a new approach to the nation's contentious nuclear program, which the U.S. claims is geared toward making bombs, while a nuclear official renewed threats Tuesday to resume uranium enrichment.

Iran's President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sits in the parliament building in Tehran July 12, 2005. Ahmadinejad met with Parliamentarians to discuss the composition of his future cabinet. Ahmadinejad assumes office on August 4.[Reuters]

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who won last month's presidential election in a landslide, said his new government will have fresh nuclear policies.

"The new government will definitely have new ideas, while respecting decisions of the outgoing administration" of the pro-reform President Mohammad Khatami, Ahmadinejad said after meeting lawmakers in a closed session of parliament.

The former Tehran mayor did not elaborate, but his comments come as he tries to steer a course between avoiding U.S. acrimony and appeasing Iranian hard-liners who regard this country's nuclear program as a national right.

President Bush has urged the Europeans to make it clear to Ahmadinejad that the U.S. will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran.

Iran says it does not want atomic weapons and claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. While linked to making nuclear bombs, low-level uranium enrichment also has energy uses.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, the top diplomat under Khatami, confirmed Iran's new leader will follow the same course as the previous government when he comes to office in early August, particularly in regards to "international detente and cooperation."

Iran's agreed last month to review an EU proposal for a new round of negotiations in the summer. Tehran's decision injects some breathing space into the international crisis over its nuclear program, at least temporarily.

An Iranian nuclear negotiator sounded a warning to the Europeans on Tuesday, saying enrichment had to be on the table.

"If enrichment and the fuel cycle are not considered in the European proposal, Iran will resume activity in the uranium conversion facilities in the central Iranian city of Isfahan at once," said Ali Aghamohammadi, a spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council. Aghamohammadi added that a resumption would not entail cutting off negotiations with the EU.

Iran has previously said that it would restart enrichment-related activities at its Isfahan Uranium Conversion Facility whether or not there is an agreement with the Europeans. No operations are currently taking place at the Isfahan facility, which can convert uranium ore concentrate, known as yellowcake, into uranium gas, the feedstock for enrichment.

But actual enrichment, a process currently on hold, takes place at the Natanz nuclear facility, also in central Iran.

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