Iran will continue to enrich uranium, influential former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said today, as concerns grow over possible US military action against Tehran's nuclear programme.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran does not intend to stop," he said when asked about Iran's success at enriching uranium.
"The Islamic Republic wants to continue along its path," he told reporters in Kuwait during a visit to the Gulf state.
Last week, Iran announced it had enriched uranium for use in its power stations, stoking a diplomatic row with the West which suspects Tehran is trying to build an atomic bomb. Iran says it is seeking nuclear power to generate electricity.
Rafsanjani, who was speaking through an interpreter, said
Iran's neighbours had nothing to fear from its nuclear programme which he said was bound by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"This is a comprehensive treaty and the paths towards any breaches are blocked," he said.