Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Khamenei: No to Nuclear Compromise

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in Tehran today that Iran will not accept the compromise proposal by Group 5+1.

“Taking one step back against arrogant powers will lead to them to take one step forward,” Ayatollah Khamenei said.

The major powers had proposed a compromise “freeze-on-freeze” approach, whereby Iran would have frozen at current level its uranium enrichment activities, and the UN would have not introduced any new sanctions against Iran. The freeze-on-freeze confidence-building period was to last for six weeks, at the end of which the US and the Europeans would have started direct talks with Iran to end the nuclear standoff.

“The idea that any retreat or backing down from righteous positions would change the policies of arrogant world powers is completely wrong and baseless," Khamenei said, directly addressing those inside Iran who had been increasingly vocal in their support of a negotiated end to the standoff.

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