Iran on Sunday remained defiant over its nuclear programme despite the threat of sanctions, saying it was detecting splits between world powers on whether to punish Tehran for intensifying atomic work. With world powers locked in talks in New York over a draft resolution that would impose sanctions over IranÂ’s failure to halt uranium enrichment, Tehran has defiantly expanded work on the process at a key nuclear plant.
Russia does not want sanctions and does not want to close the path of negotiations, and the Chinese have a similar position. | But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini did not appear concerned that sanctions were imminent, saying there was a split between the stances of China and Russia on one hand and Europe and the US on the other. “Splits between the parties are very visible, that is to say between the United States and the Europeans on one side and Russia and China on the other,” the Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters. “These two countries have completely different positions to the Europeans. Russia does not want sanctions and does not want to close the path of negotiations, and the Chinese have a similar position,” he added. |