Iran's president wants to attend UN Security Council meeting

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to attend a UN Security Council meeting to defend in person his country's nuclear program, state television reported on Sunday.

"The Iranian president wants to attend a meeting of the UN Security Council on the Iranian nuclear issues to defend the right of the Iranian people to develop nuclear technology," government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham was quoted as saying.

The report did not provide further details about when Ahmadinejad planned to attend the UN Security Council meeting.

The report came as the five UN Security Council permanent members and Germany are currently discussing a new draft resolution imposing sanctions on Iran for its controversial nuclear fuel work.

Diplomats who attended Friday's consultation among six countries in New York said that the new draft resolution imposing sanctions on Iran will not be distributed until next week the earliest possible.

The new resolution will, in accordance with the current elements, impose more severe sanctions on Iran in terms of an expanded travel ban on officials involved in the nuclear program, embargo of arms imports and exports, and stiffer economic and financial sanctions including a ban on export guarantees to Iran.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Dec. 23, 2006 demanding that Iran suspend uranium enrichment in 60 days. However, Iran has failed to do so and claimed its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only.

The United States has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program, a charge that Iran has denied.

Source: Xinhua