Iran’s President Refuses to Forgo Atomic Activities

The president of Iran declared Saturday that his country had an “inalienable right” to develop nuclear energy and offered a role in its program to other nations and companies to show that it was not producing nuclear weapons.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad refused to suspend Iran’s uranium enrichment activities and his speech failed to convince the United States or European officials that Iran was serious about anything but stalling international action to halt its nuclear program.

In a defiant speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Ahmadinejad asserted that Iran was the victim of “nuclear apartheid” by nations that already possessed nuclear weapons and technology. He accused the United States of violating global nuclear treaties and said the Islamic Republic’s religious principles prohibited it from pursuing nuclear weapons.

On Thursday, Ahmadinejad told leaders from Britain, France and Germany, the three European Union countries leading negotiations to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program, that he would unveil new proposals to resolve the matter. But his pledge “to engage in serious partnership with private and public sectors of other countries in the implementation of uranium enrichment” lacked both the details and the substance to convince diplomats that Iran would change tracks.

European and American officials said that referring Iran to the United Nations Security Council, where it could face sanctions, was still an option.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy told reporters after the speech that Security Council action “remains on the agenda” for a meeting of the U.N. nuclear agency’s board of governors on Monday to consider Iran’s compliance.

The British Foreign Office termed the Iranian leader’s speech “unhelpful” and said it offered nothing to inspire confidence.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did not attend the speech, leaving a lone note-taker in the U.S. seat. But in her address to the Security Council earlier in the day, she said that it was time to stop talking and take action before Iran developed a nuclear weapon.

“When diplomacy has been exhausted, the Security Council must become involved,” Rice said.

But the U.S. seems to have backed away from an effort to get the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran to the Security Council at its meeting Monday in Vienna. The U.S. strategy was rebuffed by India, as well as China and Russia, which both hold permanent seats on the Security Council and can veto action against Iran.

India, a declared nuclear power, has not signed the Nonproliferation Treaty. India’s support would tip the sentiment against Iran, diplomats say.

The IAEA has not found evidence that Iran is building nuclear weapons, but says that many questions about the scale, scope and history of Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian use, remain unanswered.

Iran built up its nuclear program in secret over 18 years, raising suspicions that it might be continuing covert activities as negotiations limp along. Diplomats say the IAEA board might vote Monday to give Iran a deadline to either come clean or be sent to the Security Council.

In a news conference after his speech, Ahmadinejad refused to elaborate on his proposal to internationalize his nation’s nuclear program, and said that Iran would “react” if the Security Council imposed sanctions.

The president and other Iranian officials hinted last week that Iran could raise oil prices or use other measures if other countries resorted to threats or force.

“We believe we should not give in to bullying in international relations,” Ahmadinejad said. “We’re not going to cave in to the excessive demands of certain powers.”