E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSS
Vahid Salemi / AP
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, waves to well wishers from his car during an annual rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution on Sunday.
DUBAI - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Sunday Tehran would not negotiate about its disputed nuclear program under pressure, but would talk to its adversaries if they stopped "pointing the gun.'
In a speech to mark the 34th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, Ahmadinejad struck a more conciliatory tone than Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who on February 7 rebuffed a U.S. call for direct negotiations on disputes between the two countries.
Ahmadinejad does not have the authority to authorize negotiations over the nuclear program, which lies with Khamenei.
"You cannot point a gun at the Iranian nation and then expect them to have negotiations with you," Ahmadinejad said, speaking to a crowd gathered in Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square.
His speech, which partly dealt with Iran's policy towards its 'enemies', was carried live on Iranian state television.
"Talks should not be used as a lever to impose one's opinions.... If you stop pointing the gun at the Iranian nation, I will negotiate (with you) myself," he added.
The U.S. and some of its allies suspect Iran may be trying to develop atomic weapons capability under the cover of a civilian nuclear energy program, a charge Iran has denied.
Many believe no nuclear deal is possible without a U.S.-Iranian thaw, requiring direct talks addressing myriad sources of mutual mistrust and hostility lingering since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and the hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
On the nuclear dispute, Iran has agreed to a new round of talks with world powers in Kazakhstan on February 26.
Related: Iran's supreme leader rejects Joe Biden's offer of direct talks
Tehran is seeking the lifting of sanctions that have slashed oil exports and helped reduce the value of the Iranian rial by about half in the last year, contributing to higher inflation and weakened purchasing power for ordinary Iranians.
At schools, in shops, and on the streets of big cities and small towns, daily life plays out in Iran.
Iranians bearing banners saying "Down With U.S.A." and "We are standing until the end" gathered at state-organized mass demonstrations in the capital Tehran and other major cities to mark the anniversary of the ousting of a Western-friendly monarchy in favor of clerical leadership.
Ahmadinejad did not address the specifics of Iran's nuclear program, or of the planned talks, in his speech on Sunday. He said that Iran would counter the sanctions by increasing its non-oil exports and weaning itself off crude revenues.
"Today the enemies are trying their utmost to put pressure on the Iranian nation to stop its progress but they will not succeed," he said.
Last week, the U.S. implemented a measure meant to "lock up" Iranian oil revenues by requiring them to be credited to accounts in countries that buy Iranian crude.
Supreme leader Khamenei on Thursday slapped down an offer of direct negotiations with the United States, saying negotiations and pressure were incompatible.
Khamenei was believed to have been replying to remarks by Vice President Joe Biden, who said in a speech in Germany on February 2 that the United States was ready to hold direct talks with Iran if it was serious about negotiations.
Related:
Iran accused of sending missiles, explosives to insurgents in Yemen
Iran releases video allegedly captured by crashed US spy drone
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Leave a Comment:
My Turn - who is threatening who?
1) who threatened to wipe a nation (Israel) off the face of the earth "Iran's president"
2) who would kill thousands upon thousands of his own people to stay in power "Iran's supreme leader"
3) who supplies dictators with weapons to slaughter tens of thousands seeking their freedom and rights "Iran"
Assad the Butcher is only thinking of himself as he sets up torture chambers all across the country to torture and kill syrians (even children) Mad-dog Gadhafi was not near as evil as Assad the Butcher, who will go to his grave taking tens of syrians with him *(thinking only of himself)
My turn now - who is threatening who?
Why should we give a s$$t, if Israel feels threatened let them deal with it but we should mind our own business and the $2B we send Israel should stop.
Oh_no We give Israel 20 billion plus a year not 2 billion. Did you know that not one Israeli American pays US tax? Israel rips us off blind. Netanyhoo was heard saying we own the US congress on their channel 2 news. Israel spends 64 million dollars a year to change public opinion on the net. Wake up America before it's to late. Read "If Americans Only Knew" to find out about Israel.
ya John again poor old Israel , they attack every country in that part of the world , and if it was not for our support , they can not attack a dog camp . we give them every thing they got , plus they play on our christian sympathy here in the US with the help of these Conservatives preachers , and these people send them billions on top of the billions our government gives them , Assad the Butcher , read some more and see who's really the Butcher , these thugs in Syria are the same Alqaida that attacked here on 9/11 , we are arming them and helping them , Just ask Hillary , Sen. Ron Paul just came out last week and admitted that , that's the problem with here , we are so fricking blind we don't see the truth. and let me see , who attacked Iraq back in the 80's . who attacked Lebanon and destroyed civilians homes and killed them ? who attacked Syria 4 time without any attack from Syria ? who attacked Sudan last year ? who attack Syria last week ? Who attacked Gaza and destroyed and killed civilians ? who destroy people's home , because they want to take over ??? Israel . that's who . you better start catching up John . people like you got their nose up their butts so far they can not see anything .
hitler would support you regarding Israel btw- your statement that "they attack every country in that part of the world" I believe you are talking about the 7 day war, where arab countries actually attacked Israel and they all got their @ss kicked by Israel in 7 days.
if hamas would stop raining rockets into Israel's cities on a daily basis, then Israel would have no reason to strike back.
John M. ISRAEL attacked first calling it a pre-emptive strike. People like you should read a little more so you can tell the truth. God hates liars.
SO the time to shoot at an angry mountain lion is WHILE it is leaping through midair at you and NOT when it has been stalking you and is now licking its lips and crouching to spring?
Gotcha!
It is syrian citizens that make up the large majority of "freedom fighters" (rebels) after Assad the Butcher started slaughtering "arab spring protesters" (syrians) seeking their freedom and rights (like electing the leader of "their choosing instead of a evil dictator (Assad the Butcher) electing himself. Assad after gunning protesers started setting up torture chambers all across the country to torture and/or kill "syrians" seeking their freedom and rights after getting the courage to stand up to this evil mass murdering that even tortures children in torture chambers. Assad will rot in hell with his side kick, Mad-dog Gadhafi.
Again John M. when was the last time you went to the mid-east to know so much. Their are many foreign newspapers on the net to be able to see the real truth. When Palestine was made a UN non member state, 140 countries were for it and only seven against. Don't just read the zionist newspapers here in the US.
Stop pointing the gun? It's time to pull the trigger.
1) warn Iran that if they don't stop aiming to build nuclear weapons then Israel has every right and should bomb Iran's nuclear facilities to kingdom kong.
2) A complete blockage of Iran can also be used to save lives to deter massive destruction of Iran.
3) My Way even supported Gadhafi (how did that turn out for you?)
on 3) - meant My Turn (not my way)
Nuke Iran!
John Remember , we supplies Saddam with weapons when he fought Iran , I guess he was a good guy then , McCain said this about Qaddafi , He is a very nice man , Not long before he was so crazy about killing him . Moubarak we sent him billions of dollars that we needed here at home . Assad was OK to help in the Gulf war . we give Pakistan's billions of Dollars , you how much these people hate us ??? when did Assad do any thing to us , or the Iranians for that matter , the Iranians threatened Israel if I Israel attacked them , they will wipe it , I wonder if some body threatened us , what we do ??? you all only see it your way , we need to grow up when we deal with countries , this not a court case , and the only people we got running this country are lawyers ( sorry all my lawyers buddies ) . we need some body that understand other countries and their cultures .
Saddam stop attacking Iran and started killing his own people (kurds) by the thousands making him a evil mass murderer (not as evil as Assad the Butcher though) Also, Saddam paid each families of suicide bombing $25,000 for killing Israel's citizens (including chiildren), that is how evil Saddam was, eventually Saddam was hanged by his own people, and rightly so, *Assad the Butcher is next, he'll likely will be hanged by his own people too, and rightly so.
btw, I support the syrian people, and soon, they will rid themselves of this evil mass murdering dictator hell bent on genocide trying to save his own skin.
I support a peaceful transition of the Iran's people to win freedom and rights to all (including women) I don't support a religious freak supreme leader that hate jews and denies that hitler ever killed any jews, and commonsense folks knows better. It is too bad that Iran continues to support dictators by supplying weaons to kill its citizens that are seeking freedom just as americans sought their own freedom during the american revolutionary war. I know of Iran people that are decent kind individuals but they are being ruled by a religious freak preventing their freedom and rights in the name of "Allah"
How many allies do we really have in the Middle East region? True strategic allies that would be willing to sacrifice their young soldiers if the Middle East became a blood bath at eradicating Israel, can you count them on two hands or just one?
Iran will continue to deceive, put forth a front and any other means available to buy more time. They are hell bent on firing up Nuclear Energy and in the shadows enriching their uranium to weapons grade. At some point they will make a World U.N. announcement that they are now a nuclear super power and any and all negotiations that threaten their economic freedom in the World will be taken as an act of War, and deem themselves worthy of Mass Destruction against their enemies. As Israeli concerns mount about this New day, the U.S. continues to involve ourselves into interruptions of Iran's economy and Lobby's for the NWO economic super powers to join in the fight to starve the beast into submission, the Iranians carry out their quest for Nuclear options with little opposition from their own people. The brain-washing by the Iranian regime continues to delude their peoples minds and the creation of the mirage of innocent acts toward Nuclear Energy development verses WMD which most of the World suspects with strong indications, by their off limits underground facilities for inspectors.
Israel's may have the biggest bone in this fight but if things start to get ugly, U.S. forces and some allies from beyond the Middle East region will help take down the Iranian regime one acre at a time and incite more hatred for the west by the surrounding countries, who if join the fight, will create a huge World economic chaos!
Why don't you take a poll of the American people and see who really wants to talk with Iran. Let Israel blow them off the map, then there won't be very much more trouble in the world anymore.
freddy, Iran has 80,000 missles pointed at Israel and thats why Netanyhoo is begging us to do it. Israel wouldn't exist anymore if they attacked or they would have done it a long time ago.
Yep, let send in 1,000,000 troops and keep them in IRAN for
ten years. We can pay for it by get rid of Medicare and public television. We must
protect Israel; they are a greatest ally and have done nothing against us ever.
They would never do anything that in our best interest. They have been given
the right by god to put more settlements in the West band by the god. God has
said that they are the only true children of his. What I do not understand is
why they have not gassed the lot you know what poor people do all the time instead
of work.
I give up. Why do you think the president of Iran is complaining
so much? It is simple the sanctions are starting to really hurt. We have even
hit the international banks that do businesses with Iran. Even countries like Russia
and China are starting to see that Iran is wrong. The young people of Iran are
not like North Korea they have access to international news and are not total
in the dark. They know the world is unhappy with their government and are restless.
Why play in to the
hard liners game when we are winning.
yeah lets be suckered one more time by iran . they play us (.U.S.) like a yo yo . they just want more time to develope there nuclear weapons. the finatic Ayatollah's run the country not the dumb ass ahmadinejad. he's just figure head thats all. like i said . i hope obama proves me wrong ? he said he would not let iran go nuclear ? i say he will . we will see ? lets see if he goes for this new scam there up to about direct talks ? i know he has no expericence what so ever in foreign policy but surely he will able to see through this delay tactic.
He's come full circle, nowhere to run now!!!
Let's see, they lie, retract it, lie, retract it, lie some more, say F#$% YOU.......I say we trust them this time.
Why did Biden make a public offer to Iran and put U.S. prestige on the line in the first place? This should have been done through diplomatic channels.
When Obama was elected, Iran had enriched 1,000 kilos of reactor grade uranium. The November U.N. report found Iran has produced 7,611 kilos to reactor grade and 232 kilos to 20%, much closer to bombgrade. (WSJ 2/9/13). They just declared they are going to install 3,000 advanced centrifuges at their Natanz facility.
By appointing Hagel to Secretary of Defense we are sending a very weak signal that, "all options are on the table." Obama additionally blocked sending arms to Syrian rebels who are trying to overthrow Iran's client, Assad. They are going for a bomb, folks. Priceless.
Don't believe the snakes, folks! It's the same old ''Let's talk, let's talk'' story. They're trying to buy more time to take the whole world for fools! Israel, the US and the rest of the world must do what they must do in order to avoid the monster from being born!
You mean like the WMDs in Iraq?
No doubt resident White House Muslim, will make a deal with them, and send them tanks and planes. Maybe some help with their nuclear progaram. Either way, they will play the Annointed One, like a fiddle.
Why are fools like you so eager to get more of our boys and girls in the service killed and spend more money we don't have.
Iran is not willing "to talk" seriously about anything. Tighten the fiscal noose even more. Make 'em beg for real talks...
OK, let's try the Iranian way of accomplishing this. Don't change anything in regard to how much American military might is positioned to squash any Iranian aggression. Change nothing, but publish in the news that America is folding to Iranian wishes and is withdrawing all American Navy vessels and aircraft stationed in the Arabian Gulf. If anything, tell the troops to go one level higher as far as readiness is concerned, but tell Iran we're going home. See if they believe that, since nobody believes anything they say, either.
So if this is the case and it is why do we care what they do much less talk about it? You think maybe we are rattling the saber because the tail (Israel) wags the dog (US)?
The country will never be anything but trouble. We should bomb the major cities and wipe them out. That is their plan for us. They are a bunch of fanatics. And it will send a needed message to the rest of those middle eastern nuts.
We're not giving them enough money...they'll say "Give us more money, & we'll talk", Obama will say OK!
The U.S. says let the sanctions have time to work, the Israeli's say they are (Iranians) getting closer to putting together a nuclear bomb that will easily reach our country, the Iranians say get your guns out of our face and let's begin some open chats,....Who is naive, who is not?
With the last election, I have pretty much come to accept that a small nuclear exchange will inevitably take place in the Middle East some time in the next decade.
Obama is an appeaser and countries like Iran and North Korea play appeasers for the fools that they know them to be.
All they have to do is say they are "ready to negotiate" and they are given a free pass for another year or five to continue their pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Once they have them, of course, they will continue to hold the world in a constant state of terror/hostage negotiations.