IRAN: Iran scoffed at the idea of US military action to halt its nuclear programme and gave no hint of compromise yesterday before a visit by UN inspectors to assess Iranian compliance with its Security Council demands.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will report to the body on April 28th on whether Tehran has halted uranium enrichment and answered IAEA questions about its nuclear activities in line with a 30-day deadline set by the council.
US president George W Bush has vowed to stop Iran from getting atomic weapons and has refused to rule out military options, including nuclear strikes, if diplomacy fails.
"The United States has been threatening Iran for 27 years and this is not new for us. Therefore we are never afraid of US threats," Iranian defence minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar told reporters during a visit to neighbouring Azerbaijan.
"If you take into account the fact that they are not doing anything, this shows it is just talk," he said. Najjar said Iran was ready to negotiate, but would deal with any challenge confronting it.
Senior IAEA inspectors are due in Iran today to gauge Iranian compliance for the report that Mohamed ElBaradei, the UN watchdog's director, is preparing for the Security Council.
Worries about the nuclear standoff have helped drive oil prices to record highs, with Brent crude trading above $74 (€60) a barrel yesterday after a steep drop in US gasoline stocks. Iran, the world's fourth-biggest oil exporter, says it wants only nuclear-generated electricity, not bombs.
The US, Britain and France want the Security Council to approve targeted sanctions on Iran, such as travel bans and asset freezes, if it refuses to back down.
But China and Russia, the council's other two veto-holders, doubt punitive measures will work. - (Reuters)