Khamenei: God will reprimand Iranians if they give up nuclear activity

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Sunday that God would punish Iranians if they did not support the country's disputed nuclear program, state radio reported. "The Iranian people openly announce that they will defend their rights... God will reprimand them if they do not do so," state radio quoted Khamenei as saying. The 68-year-old ayatollah, who has the final say on all state matters, said Washington's claim that Iran was trying to build a nuclear weapon was false. "They know that Iran is not pursuing a nuclear weapon, and they are just trying to block the Iranian nation from achieving advanced technology," Khamenei was quoted as saying in Teheran.