Iran Announces Nuclear Expansion

So much for the much ballyhooed UN package of incentives to get Iran to drop it's nuclear program. Iran announced that it will be greatly expanding it's nuclear efforts.

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's top nuclear negotiator said Sunday that Iran will expand uranium enrichment, in defiance of a U.N. Security Council resolution giving the Islamic Republic until Aug. 31 to halt the activity or face the threat of political and economic sanctions.

Ali Larijani called the U.N. Security Council resolution issued last week illegal and said Iran won't respect the deadline. "We reject this resolution," he told reporters.

"We will expand nuclear activities where required. It includes all nuclear technology including the string of centrifuges," Larijani said, referring to the centrifuges Iran uses to enrich uranium.

He said Iran had not violated any of its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty, and that the U.N. had no right to require it suspend enrichment. "We won't accept suspension," he said.

Larijani said the Security Council resolution contradicted a package of Western incentives offered in June to persuade Tehran to suspend its enrichment activities. He reiterated that Iran would formally respond to the incentives package on Aug. 22.

Iran has said it will never give up its right to produce nuclear fuel, but has indicated it may suspend large-scale activities to ease tensions with the West.

Larijani said the world should blame the United States and its allies for acting against their proposed package and seeking to deny Iran its rights under the NPT.

Iran will continue to mock efforts to stop it's quest for nuclear weapons. The West is going to have a major, major problem if they allow Tehran to get the bomb. So will Iran's neighbors in the Middle East. It would be a good time for the other countries in that region to realize they are in danger of becoming dependencies of the resurgent Persian Empire. That's where this is heading.