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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (AP) Last update - 18:43 05/05/2008 Iran rejects tough atomic inspections, citing 'double standard' By Reuters Tags: nuclear, Iran  Iran on Monday ruled out accepting intrusive nuclear inspections unless there was an end to "double standards" on global non-proliferation that it said benefited nuclear arms powers, which allegedly includes Israel. Squaring off with Western nations at a global meeting on how to shore up the Non-Proliferation Treaty, Iran rejected allegations of covert Iranian atom bomb work, and blamed nuclear weapons powers for the treaty's problems. Iranian Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh asked why developing nations should accept intrusive International Atomic Energy Agency inspections as a condition for obtaining nuclear know-how when nuclear arms powers could u Advertisement nilaterally curb IAEA checks of their facilities. Soltanieh accused industrialized powers of enshrining"nuclear apartheid" by imposing harsher export controls for developing states within the NPT while secretly helping non-NPT state Israel build a nuclear arsenal. "This double standard cannot be sustained and no additional measure in strengthening (IAEA) safeguards can be accepted by non-nuclear weapons parties unless these serious constraints and discrimination are removed," he said. Earlier Monday, Iran ruled out halting its disputed nuclear work, saying it would reject any incentive package offered by world powers that violated the Islamic Republic's nuclear rights. Six world powers agreed at a meeting in London on Friday to offer a new incentives package to coax Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, a process which the West believes Tehran wants to master so that it can build nuclear weapons. Iran, which insists its nuclear program is aimed at generating electricity, says enrichment is a national right that it will not give up. "Those incentives that violate the Iranian nation's right in any form will not be reviewed by the Islamic state," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a news conference Monday. Iran's English-language Press TV earlier translated Hosseini as saying incentives violating Iran's rights would "not be supported by us". It said Iran had not officially received any package. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia - and Germany, known as the P5+1, offered a package to Iran in 2006 that demanded Iran halt enrichment. Tehran rejected it. "Regarding the incentives package ... we believe the path adopted in the past should not be continued. They should act based on realities and international regulations. Talks should be held based on respecting nations' rights," Hosseini said. Russia, which sent an envoy to Iran last week for discussions that covered the nuclear row, said on Saturday enrichment would have to be suspended during international talks aimed at resolving the dispute. "In the past, we have expressed our view about the issue that some Russian officials talked about. There has been no change in our position," Hosseini said when asked about the comments by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The UN Security Council has demanded that Iran stop enrichment, a process which can make both fuel for power plants and material for bombs. Tehran's refusal has led to three sets of limited sanctions since 2006. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday the Islamic Republic would not give up its right in the face of Western pressure, but did not explicitly mention nuclear work. Related articles: PM: Iran will not be nuclear Azerbaijan halts Russian shipment for Iran nuclear plant U.S., Israel concerned N. Korean nuclear know-how reached Iran U.S.: Iran halted nuclear weapons development in 2003 Bookmark to del.icio.us   Nuclear allegation Jimmy Carter says Israel has arsenal of 150 nuclear weapons. On penalty of death Rightist MK Eldad says those who give away Israeli land should get death penalty.   1.   Iran has every right to have nuclear weapons 10:40  |  evenhanded 05/05/08   2.   Pathetic attempt to bribe the Iranians 11:05  |  Clickfool 05/05/08   3.   #1 evenhanded - and Israel has every right 11:13  |  Yonatan 05/05/08   4.   Dangerous games in the ME 11:23  |  Esther 05/05/08   5.   EVEN HANDED As soon as they withdraw from the NPT Iran can. 11:29  |  PETER SM 05/05/08   6.   Peaceful research for making peaceful bombs 11:50  |  S 05/05/08   7.   Either the mideast is a nuclear free zone or it is not 12:31  |  Natallie Durson 05/05/08   8.   Ahmadinejad 12:40  |  H 05/05/08   9.   Israel should learn from them 13:01  |  Binyamin Dissen 05/05/08   10.   Iran now needs a Color revolution 13:25  |  David G 05/05/08   11.   Do we trust Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ? 13:27  |  Jean Van Daem 05/05/08   12.   For S, with his ludicrous analogies # 6 13:50  |  Clickfool 05/05/08   13.   Iran is a sovereign nation and has every right to its own nuclear 13:52  |  lakshmi 05/05/08   14.   NDURSON which part of SIGNED NPT do you find hard to understand 13:55  |  PETER SM 05/05/08   15.   PETER SM - Signed NPT is your best argument? 14:16  |  Natallie Durson 05/05/08   16.   Dear Peter # 14 14:16  |  North American 05/05/08   17.   Converts To Islam Remain Unconverted 14:19  |  Lavi 05/05/08   18.   What do you mean, Iran is not Nazi Germany? 14:20  |  Joe Sittizen 05/05/08   19.   For Joe Sittizen # 18 14:35  |  Clickfool 05/05/08   20.   NORTH AMERICAN Because Israels enemies sidelined the UN from day1 14:42  |  PETER SM 05/05/08   21.   Will Iran accept the incentives? 14:46  |  Ricardo 05/05/08   22.   N.DURSON.Its not JUST a signed piece of paper as you well know 14:48  |  PETER SM 05/05/08   23.   #7 Natallie 15:17  |  christoph 05/05/08   24.   Clickfool and Natalie still in denial! 15:49  |  DR 05/05/08   25.   Double Standards Could Mean Double Trouble 16:21  |  Cool B 05/05/08   26.   #6 S 16:29  |  Cool B 05/05/08   27.   of course they won`t. disarm them now. 16:56  |  frenz 05/05/08   28.   Cool B, wrong again!!! 16:58  |  DR 05/05/08   29.   Cool B #26 and #12 Clickfool 17:16  |  S 05/05/08   30.   A disappointment 17:17  |  Mark Lincoln 05/05/08   31.   #25 Cool B 17:40  |  christoph 05/05/08   32.   Clickfool (!2) there are three indispensable signs for fascism 17:52  |  Karl 05/05/08   33.   Demand Israel sign the NPT and allow inspections 18:04  |  betz55 05/05/08   34.   #1Yes. Like other nations, Iran has a right to nuclear weapons... 18:16  |  bat yam 05/05/08   35.   betz55 18:24  |  christoph 05/05/08   36.   #29 S 18:32  |  Cool B 05/05/08   37.   Stop the iran bashers Iran is not germany 18:48  |  reza SHAH 05/05/08   38.   #31 Christoph 18:50  |  Cool B 05/05/08   39.   CoolB #35 You are writing from the US? YOU? 19:02  |  S 05/05/08   40.   Bottom line 20:07  |  hollingsworth 05/05/08   41.   Israel must understand the new reality 17:50  |  Ahmed 07/05/08   42.   they signed the NPT 13:14  |  elise 27/05/08

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