الرئيسية
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has wrapped up his Latin
American tour in Ecuador, vowing to stand up to growing international
pressure over his country's nuclear programme and threatening to
"respond" to attacks.
"Embargoes and sanctions against Iran have had no effect,"
Ahmadinejad said in an interview in Quito, Ecuador, on Friday at the end
of a four-nation tour that also took in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba..
"Naturally, if the United States wants to disturb, damage and strike
the Iranian people, the Iranian people also stand very strong. It will
respond firmly," he said.
His trip took place as tensions rise further still following new US
sanctions intended to inflict economic damage in the hope of forcing
Iran to drop its nuclear programme.
Ahmadinejad left Ecuador to return home after his five-day tour of
the region, which was seen as an attempt to side-step growing
international tensions and find new markets as the European Union
considers an outright embargo on Iranian oil.
Over the course of his trip, Ahmadinejad repeatedly denied suspicion
that Iran aims to make a nuclear weapon, a growing concern in the
international community after Iran opened a second uranium enrichment
site.
"The nuclear question is a political excuse. All of them know well
that Iran isn't looking to build nuclear bombs," Ahmadinejad said.
His stance is being backed by Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, who
said Washington's allegations of a nuclear weapons programme are based
on flimsy sources.
"How can those reports be accepted? Isn't it the same thing that happened with Iraq which caused an invasion that
cost over a million lives. Also later the conclusion was reached that they didn't have weapons of mass destruction.
How could we possible not learn from history and such a recent painful history?" Correa said.
New sanctions
On Thursday, the United States imposed a new round of sanctions on
firms in China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates for doing
business with Tehran.
American tour in Ecuador, vowing to stand up to growing international
pressure over his country's nuclear programme and threatening to
"respond" to attacks.
"Embargoes and sanctions against Iran have had no effect,"
Ahmadinejad said in an interview in Quito, Ecuador, on Friday at the end
of a four-nation tour that also took in Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba..
"Naturally, if the United States wants to disturb, damage and strike
the Iranian people, the Iranian people also stand very strong. It will
respond firmly," he said.
His trip took place as tensions rise further still following new US
sanctions intended to inflict economic damage in the hope of forcing
Iran to drop its nuclear programme.
Ahmadinejad left Ecuador to return home after his five-day tour of
the region, which was seen as an attempt to side-step growing
international tensions and find new markets as the European Union
considers an outright embargo on Iranian oil.
Over the course of his trip, Ahmadinejad repeatedly denied suspicion
that Iran aims to make a nuclear weapon, a growing concern in the
international community after Iran opened a second uranium enrichment
site.
"The nuclear question is a political excuse. All of them know well
that Iran isn't looking to build nuclear bombs," Ahmadinejad said.
His stance is being backed by Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, who
said Washington's allegations of a nuclear weapons programme are based
on flimsy sources.
"How can those reports be accepted? Isn't it the same thing that happened with Iraq which caused an invasion that
cost over a million lives. Also later the conclusion was reached that they didn't have weapons of mass destruction.
How could we possible not learn from history and such a recent painful history?" Correa said.
New sanctions
On Thursday, the United States imposed a new round of sanctions on
firms in China, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates for doing
business with Tehran.