Iran will have new nuke, foreign policy ideas: Ahmadinejad

Press Trust of India:

Iran will have new ideas on its contentious nuclear programme, which the US claims is geared toward making atomic bombs, as well as foreign policy issues, the country's ultraconservative president-elect has said. READ MORE

An Iranian nuclear official also said his country will resume nuclear enrichment -- a process that can be linked to making bombs -- with or without accord from European Union negotiators trying to persuade Tehran to end such activities.

Tehran voluntarily froze its enrichment activities in November under threat of US-backed United Nations Security Council sanctions, but says it reserves the right to restart them at any time.

New president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his new government will have fresh nuclear policies, but said it will still respect positions taken by the outgoing government of pro-reformist Mohammad Khatami.

"The new government will definitely have new ideas while respecting decisions of the outgoing administration," Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday after meeting lawmakers in a closed session of parliament when quizzed by reporters on his nuclear and foreign policies.

The former Tehran mayor did not elaborate, but his comments come as he tries to steer a course between avoiding US acrimony and appeasing Iranian hard-liners who regard this country's nuclear program as a national right.

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, the top diplomat under Khatami, confirmed Iran's new leader will follow the same course when he comes to office in early August as the previous government, particularly in regards to international detente and cooperation.