Iran Threatens to Quit NPT

Agence France-Presse:

Iran could leave the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) if its nuclear rights are not accounted for, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki warned today.

"If we reach a point where the existing mechanisms do not provide for the right of the Iranian people, then the policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran would be possibly revised and reconsidered," Mottaki told reporters in response to a question over whether Iran would consider leaving the NPT. READ MORE

"At the moment we believe that there is a chance for different sides to continue the negotiations," he added on the sidelines of an international conference on energy and security in Asia.

On Wednesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) sent an assessment report on Iran's program to the Security Council after a failed three-year-old investigation to confirm the true nature of Iran's activities.

The stand-off has escalated in recent months, with Tehran insisting it will not stop the sensitive enrichment activities that the West suspects are cover for developing an atomic bomb.

On Friday, the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council held another round of private talks on how to respond to Iran's nuclear defiance ahead of an expected meeting by the full 15-member council next week.