Sanctions on Iran futile

Kuala Lumpur, 2007/01/20, IRNA

Iranian Ambassador to Thailand Mohsen PakAein said in Bangkok on Saturday that sanctions imposed on Iran by a UN Security Council resolution will bear no fruit.

"Iran's nuclear knowhow is intrinsic. The country's youth have discovered the technology. Western sanctions will therefore have no effect on the country," he told Thai television.

"Iran has repeatedly expressed willingness to build confidence in the international community on its nuclear activities and has carried adopted confidence-building measures in the past.

"Western states should not use Iran's confidence-building measures as a pretext to prevent it from accessing nuclear technology," he said.

Moreover, he said he believes the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should be the appropriate venue to patch up differences on Iran's peaceful nuclear activities.

"Iran's nuclear case should be resolved outside the Security Council and within the framework of IAEA regulations," PakAein said.

The envoy urged negotiations as the only means to solve the nuclear standoff.

"Sanctions should not be imposed on nuclear knowhow. We have repeatedly assured that our efforts to access peaceful nuclear technology are for peaceful purposes," he said.

Criticizing the double standards imposed on Iran's peaceful nuclear case, he asked why the Zionist regime's atomic facilities were not subjected to inspection.

"Why does the US veto all resolutions against the Zionist regime?," he further asked.

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