FM: Iran not to withdraw from nuclear rights

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined that Tehran will not retreat from its declared nuclear stances, although it will continue talks with the world powers to work out a new plan for the peaceful settlement of the Iran-West nuclear standoff. Zarif stressed on advancing the goals of the Islamic Republic without retreating from the rights of the Iranian nation, particularly in the field of accessing to nuclear technology.    On April 6, Iran and the six world powers (China, Russia, Britain, France, US and Germany) wrapped up two days of intensive negotiations in Almaty. Iran has so far ruled out halting or limiting its nuclear work in exchange for trade and other incentives, saying that renouncing its rights under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would encourage the world powers to put further pressure on the country and would not lead to a change in the West's hardline stance on Tehran. Iran is under four rounds of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment. The United States and the European Union have ratcheted up their sanctions on Iran this year to force it to curb its nuclear program. Iranian officials have always shrugged off the sanctions, saying that pressures make them strong and reinvigorate their resolve to further move towards self-sufficiency.