Tehran, November 18: World powers should stop threatening Iran if they to achieve results at talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.
Speaking at a news conference during a visit to Azerbaijan, he gave no indication whether talks tentatively scheduled for next month between Iran and six world powers—Russia, the United States, Britain, France, China and Germany—would go ahead.
“If they want to achieve positive results they should stop thinking as aggressors. There are those among them who think as aggressors, and they think they can achieve positive results by putting pressure on us and threatening us,” he said.
He continued: “They should change the old methods, otherwise the results will be the same. No embargoes can change the Iranian people.”
Both sides have expressed readiness to meet for talks on Dec. 5 but have not agreed on a venue, and Ahmadinejad has signalled that at least some of Iran’s activities are off limits.
He said Iran had offered to hold the meeting in Istanbul, and the six powers had suggested Geneva.
The West suspects Iran wants to build atomic weapons but Tehran says its nuclear programme is designed purely for generating electricity.
–Agencies–