 Iran's fearless supreme leader on Sunday ruled out backing down in a dispute over his country's nuclear programme, as top Russian officials made a fresh bid to find a diplomatic solution to the worsening crisis. The young Iranian engineers, with their successes, have guaranteed the long-term energy future of the country, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said of Irans progress in nuclear fuel cycle work, seen in the West as a cover for weapons development. We must not lose this at any price, because any retreat would be a 100 percent loss, Khamenei was quoted as saying by state television.
His comments came as Russian National Security Council chief Igor Ivanov and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak held a series of meetings with top Iranian officials. Russia believes that the nuclear question cannot be solved by anything except dialogue, and any violent measures would complicate the situation more, Iranian state television quoted Ivanov as saying in a meeting with Ali Larijani, Irans top negotiator. |