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Iran`s chief nuclear negotiator says UN call for uranium enrichment freeze "illegal"

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 19, Kyodo/IRNA -- Iran on Sunday rejected as "illegal" 
demands from the UN atomic watchdog agency that it freeze all work on 
uranium enrichment. 
"Iran will not accept any obligation regarding the suspension of 
uranium enrichment," Iran`s chief nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, 
told a news conference . 
He spoke a day after the 35-nation Board of Governors of the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed on a resolution 
censuring Iran`s nuclear development program and urging it to 
immediately halt its uranium enrichment activities as well as setting 
a date for the IAEA to make a final report on the result of 
inspections on Iran`s nuclear activities. 
Although the resolution does not set a clear deadline for Iran, 
it commits the IAEA board to make a final judgment at its Nov. 25 
meeting over whether Iran`s nuclear activities are peaceful, thus 
effectively making it an ultimatum against Tehran. 
"This demand is not legal and does not put any obligation on 
Iran. The IAEA Board of Governors has no right to make such a 
suspension obligatory for any country," Rowhani said. 
Rowhani also said Iran would limit its cooperation with the IAEA 
if its dossier is sent to the UN Security Council for possible 
sanctions. 
"If they want to send Iran to the Security Council, it is not 
wise," he said. 
The United States accuses Iran of running a secret nuclear arms 
program while the three key European Union members of the IAEA Board 
of Governors have been negotiating with Iran in an attempt to 
convince it to stop its uranium enrichment activities. 
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