Iran's nuclear negotiator said on Sunday that Tehran will steadfastly pursue its atomic rights as he prepared for a face-off with world powers in Istanbul over the Islamic republic's nuclear drive. Saeed Jalili's hard-line reiteration of Iran's nuclear policy came in comments made to the group of foreign envoys who ended a tour of the country's nuclear facilities, including its main uranium enrichment plant.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran will not retreat one iota from its (nuclear) rights," Jalili told the envoys, according to state television's website. Iran maintains that as a member of the NPT it has the right to enrich uranium, the most contentious part of its nuclear programme.
Western powers suspect Iran is enriching uranium - material which can be used to power nuclear reactors as well as to make atomic bombs - to make weapons, a charge Tehran has steadfastly denied.
Jalili will face six world powers at a meeting in Istanbul on January 21 and 22 to ascertain whether Iran's nuclear programme indeed has peaceful aims as it claims.
His latest comments echoed a vow made on Saturday by Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi to pursue enriching uranium "very strongly" despite four sets of UN sanctions. Meanwhile, the group of foreign envoys completed Sunday a two-day tour of Iran's uranium facility at Natanz and heavy-water plant at Arak.
The rare tour has been seen as an attempt by Iran to garner support for its atomic drive ahead of the Istanbul talks.
The diplomats represented some member states of the UN atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Group of 77, the Non-Aligned Movement troika, the Arab League, Syria, Venezuela and Oman.
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