Iran: Sanctions won't stop us

Mottaki tells Security Council: UN measures won't affect nuke program.

Mottaki has a fit 311 187 (photo credit: AP)
Mottaki has a fit 311 187
(photo credit: AP)
The latest round of Security Council sanctions against Iran will not prevent the country from proceeding with its nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Thursday.
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In a letter addressed to the fifteen member-states of the UN Security Council and communicated by AFP, Mottaki wrote that Teheran “considers that the adoption of such resolutions [against Iran] will not affect its utterly peaceful nuclear program.”
He reportedly added that the “hasty adoption” of “unjust and illegal” new sanctions had only made the Islamic republic “more determined” to go ahead with its plans.
On Friday, the Obama administration welcomed Congressional approval of sweeping Iran sanctions, after months of reservations and negotiations over the legislation. One week previously, the European Union for the first time approved energy sanctions as part of a package of strong measures to combat the Islamic republic's refusal to negotiate over its nuclear program.
Both moves followed a fourth round of sanctions imposed on Teheran by the UN Security Council.
Hilary Leila Krieger in Washington contributed to this report.