Iran warned Western states on Monday against choosing confrontation over cordial relations, a day after the French foreign minister raised the fear of war over Tehran's nuclear programme.
Iranian Vice President Reza Aghazadeh told an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) general conference in Vienna that Western countries "have always chosen the path of confrontation instead of the path of understanding and cordial relations toward the great nation of Iran."
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner had warned Sunday that the world should brace for a possible war over the Iranian crisis if Tehran persisted, as France and the United States charge, in seeking nuclear weapons.
Aghazadeh, who also heads Iran's atomic agency, said that "some Western countries" had "proved that you cannot tolerate the addition of independent states and developing countries to the ongoing movement of those seeking to achieve ownership of modern technology."
"The great nation of Iran has recorded your discriminatory behaviour and performance in its memory and will not forget," Aghazadeh said. He said that if Western nations chose "the path of cooperation ... challenge in the international area could be prevented."
But, insisting that Iran only wants nuclear power to generate electricity, Aghazadeh said the "Iranian nation is determined to continue its move till the highest point of advancement and national strength has been reached."
Iran "stands in no fear of bearing the cost of this achievement" and sees threats from the West "as a weak point on the part of our enemies," he said. IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei opened the meeting by saying was "regrettable" that Iran had refused to follow UN Security Council declarations ordering it to halt uranium enrichment activities which can help to develop a bomb.
Kouchner had Sunday called the stand-off "the greatest crisis" of present times, adding : "We will not accept that the bomb is manufactured," and hinting that military plans were on the way while insisting that a negotiated settlement was the priority.
Iranian media accused France of carrying out US policy over the dispute. France's line on Iran has come much closer to Washington since President Nicolas Sarkozy took power in May. But US Defence Secretary Robert Gates took a more muted approach and said the United States feels "diplomatic and economic means is by far the preferable approach."
ElBaradei said he hoped a timetable agreed with Iran in August "for resolving all outstanding verification issues" would lead to Iranian cooperation that "would go a long way towards building confidence about Iran's nuclear programme, and could create the conditions for a comprehensive and durable solution."