Spokesman: Iran Building Reactor With or Without Foreign Aid
18 November 2006
The head of Iran's nuclear program says the nation will continue construction of a nuclear reactor with or without international assistance.
Iran's student news agency quotes Gholamreza Aghazadeh speaking about a heavy water reactor under construction in the city of Arak.
He says some nations have opposed Iran's call for technical aid from the United Nations atomic energy agency. But Aghazadeh says the project will go forward even without the help.
Western nations accuse Iran of seeking to expand its nuclear facilities in an effort develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies the claims.
Friday, a top U.S. diplomat renewed a call for international sanctions to block Iran's uranium enrichment program.
Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said the measures should target Iran's nuclear industry, but not oil and gas production.
Burns also urged Russia and China to accelerate their pace of negotiating on a European draft of a U.N. Security Council resolution. The measure would impose sanctions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Russia and China have argued the sanctions are too tough.
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