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Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei stressed Iran's determination to continue talks with the world powers, but meantime, underlined that the country won't halt its nuclear research and development programs.
"Everybody should know that although negotiations [between Iran and world powers] are going on, the Islamic Republic of Iran's activities in the field of nuclear research and development will never stop and none of Iran’s nuclear achievements will be shut down. Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency’s relations with Iran must be conventional relations, not extraordinary,” Ayatollah Khamenei told Iran’s nuclear officials and experts in Tehran on Wednesday.
The Leader said it has been proven that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons but every time US officials talk about the nuclear issue, they always raise the issue of nuclear weapons directly or indirectly.
"This is while they (US officials) know that not having nuclear weapons is the definite policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Ayatollah Khamenei noted, adding, "Of course, negotiations do not mean the Islamic Republic of Iran will give up its scientific nuclear endeavor.”
Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that Iranian negotiators must insist on the continuation of nuclear research and development.
"None of the country’s nuclear achievements can be shut down and no one has the right to make a concession over them and no one will do such a thing,” said the Leader.
Ayatollah Khamenei stated that negotiations must continue on the nuclear issue, adding, "Our country’s negotiators must not accept bullying from the other [negotiating] party.”
The Leader said that Iranian authorities must be zealous about the country’s nuclear achievements.
"Negotiations don’t mean that the Islamic Republic of Iran will withdraw from its scientific nuclear move and the Iranian negotiators should insist on continued nuclear research and development (in their talks with the world powers)," he added.
Elsewhere, he rejected the western claims that their differences with Iran and sanctions against the country are just rooted in Tehran's nuclear activities, and said if no nuclear issue existed, they would raise other excuses as now, during the course of the negotiations, the Americans raise human rights issues as an excuse and if the human rights issue is settled, they will seek other excuses."
Yet, the Leader stressed that "our negotiators shouldn’t accept any bullying words from the other side".
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