Iranian President Mohammad Khatami declared in September 2004 that Iran would not relinquish its right to enrich uranium, citing the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as the legal basis for that position. He spoke to reporters following a cabinet session.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had passed a resolution the previous Saturday requiring Iran to suspend all uranium enrichment-related activities while its investigation, underway for more than 18 months, continued. The resolution gave Iran until 25 November to resolve outstanding concerns, with a possible referral to the UN Security Council if it failed to comply.
Khatami said Iran would seek formal recognition of its enrichment rights and pledged cooperation with the IAEA once that recognition was granted. He expressed hope that a Security Council referral, which the United States had been advocating, could be avoided, warning it would signal a failure for the IAEA itself.
Iran had voluntarily suspended enrichment the prior year but continued work on other elements of the nuclear fuel cycle. Tehran maintained that its nuclear program was intended solely for electricity generation and that the IAEA's latest demands were unlawful.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in September 2004, in its own words.