Iran Vows To Defy U.N. Sanctions

Unanimous Security Council Votes For Sanctions; Iran Says It Will Continue Uranium Enrichment

(CBS/AP)  Iran vowed Sunday to push forward efforts to enrich uranium and to change its relations with the international nuclear watchdog after the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions designed to stop the country's disputed nuclear program.

Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Security Council would regret voting in favor of the sanctions, saying he was sorry the West lost its chance to make amends with Iran.

"I am sorry for you who lost the opportunity for friendship with the nation of Iran. You yourself know that you cannot damage the nation of Iran an iota," the state-run news agency, IRNA, quoted Ahmadinejad as saying.

Ahmadinejad also said the United Nations must accept Iran's nuclear program and warned that sanctions would not harm his country.

"You have to accept that Iran has the technology of producing nuclear fuel. And it will celebrate it in coming anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution in February," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Iran pledged to change its relationship with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Association.

"We are not obliged and it is not expected that cooperation with the IAEA continues at the same former level," Hosseini told reporters. He did not provide details about what would change.

Iran's parliament on Sunday voted to urge the country's administration to revise its cooperation with the IAEA but did not set a timeline or provide further details. Many legislators chanted "Death to America" after the vote.

"The government should seriously and strongly continue the important issue of peaceful nuclear technology with prudence and foresight. It should never accept such illogical pressures," more than 200 legislators said in a statement read on state-run radio.

The U.N. Security Council resolution — the result of two months of tough negotiation — orders all countries to stop supplying Iran with materials and technology that could contribute to its nuclear and missile programs. It also freezes the Iranian assets of 10 key companies and 12 individuals related to those programs.

"The Security Council resolution passed Saturday, which orders all countries to ban the supply of weapons technology and imposes a limited assets freeze, was a watered down but unanimous message to Iran that it cannot pursue its nuclear program without safeguards," said CBS News Foreign Affairs Analyst Pamela Falk from the U.N.

If Iran refuses to comply, the council warned it would adopt further nonmilitary sanctions, but the resolution emphasized the importance of diplomacy in seeking guarantees "that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes."

[grazinggoat]

RandalDS said:
''As well they should! Hasn't this idiot Bush ever heard of diplomacy? This as*shole starts out with threats and then gets even more threatening when the people he's threatening don't like being threatened! Who in the hell does he think he is? No one left in the US with a brain still supports the moron Bush, so where does he get off threatening other countries? We don't back him anymore! He's a lone lunatic voice in the wilderness! If I was running Iran I'd laugh in Bush's face!

Bush has already committed mass murder in our name in Iraq. The as*shole does NOT have our permission to commit international suicide by invading Iran! Back off you son of a Bit*ch Bush our we'll back your *** of for you motherfu*cker! ''

Man, that made me laugh my a*ss off, but please a bit of restraint with the big words... And don't forget there are some moronesk followers out there that still read your comments. In order to keep some credibility...

[mick7744]

Isn't there photographic proof that this Ahmadinejad thingee was one of the so-called 'students' who invaded the US Embassy in Tehran? That was an overt act of war!

Is there a statute of limitations on overt acts of war?

No?

Problem solved...give `em a few thousand megatons of US nuclear technology.

OK...so that's a bit harsh, but the harsh reality is that this clown is just the mad dog to let the genie out of the bottle to the great sorrow of us all. Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. They say they want to develop peaceful nuclear technology, but we've seen in the past that their word is completely worthless. Apparently, lying to infidels isn't lying at all.

It's just too bad that Jimmie Carter was such a moral man%u2026a very bad attribute in a commander-in-chief, a real handicap. Had just about any other US president been in office, there would be no Iranian problem today. A president must be able to keep his scruples under strict control. About the only good thing you can say about Doubya is not only is he not burdened by scruples or moral constraints of any kind...he can%u2019t even spell those things. He%u2019s just the decider.

[thgdriver]

Well, I gotta go.

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate the birthday!

Happy holidays to everyone else!

[juliehg-2009]

Has anyone checked out the official White House Website? It's a very educational experience...

[juliehg-2009]

thdriver...
only because Shrub will never admit he scre%ed up. Heaven forbid he should accept any responsibility for being a preemptive President.

[thgdriver]

Borealis3

Think for yourself and not what President Bush or Clinton/Kerry want you to think, It was always the oil!! Wepons of mass distruction my AS@.

[juliehg-2009]

Borealis3

You are 100% correct!

[thgdriver]

Hey, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad!

We will have two nuclear powered aircraft carrier task force right at your front door soon, better find a rock to get under, we are comming for you!!

[Syndicate]

At some point Israel will take action to protect itself. At that point 40 million Iranians will die. Fortunatley the Iranian People arn't stupid and may yet stop their president from killing them all.

[borealis3]

Well we have nuclear plants in Finland, why don't you come bomb us? Thank God we don't have oil.

[kaliveotin]

Iran is far to extreem. While our nuclear program is dormant, Irans is in full stride.
They have every right to domestic power, but if they don't let us verify a peacefull program is all that exists. I support bombing Iran's nuclear program back to the 11th century to match they're social and political culture. Iran with nuclear weapons is absolutely unaccepable.

[elgraz]

Let's round up all the Iranians in the USA and send them all back to their mother country. They have mooched on the USA for too long. Long live America.
P.S. Let's sent that bozo in Iran a special Christian gift......You know what I mean CBS.......sort of nuclear related.

[borealis3]

'No proof' of Iran nuclear arms:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6167304.stm

Where's Iraqi weapons of mass destruction?

[thgdriver]

emtak1--- Your fuels look good 10 to 15 years from now, besides, "BIG" oil companys won't let that happen anytime soon.

Our military does not run on the stuff, anything from non nuclear flattops to humvees and tanks all need the "black gold", if you think that stuff you mention is ready now, try getting by next month without oil. I am talking about anything made with oil, to anything harvested or delivered with diesel fuel or gas.

President Bush had the foresight to get a foothold in the Middle East and no one, Democrat or Republican is going to give it back, oh sure, to get in office they will tell you whatever you want to believe. "Wake up" and think for yourself.

Think about it, we have had 50,000 troops in S. Korea since 1953, for what? Now that oil has become almost as precious as water, we are going to pull out of Iraq? "Ain't" gonna happen.

[rharrin1]

He still refers Americans as infidels.
DEATH TO IRAN
DEATH TO IRAN
DEATH TO IRAN
DEATH TO IRAN
DEATH TO IRAN

[tomar0317]

Sanctions. If everyone enforced these sanctions the simple hearing the term should be enough for the accused to rethink their stance. However, sanctions are what some may apply aand other say they will but either don't ot water them down. Iran is not the only country to know this. This is not an American problem, it is a UN weakness to put teeth into what has been resolved. Too many countries are afraid of offending others. Like parents today being afraid of offending their kids, and look at our youngsters now...More violence than ever before. No wonder the world is in the crisis it is today. A good spanking is what's needed.

[wolf563]

Sanctions, thats a good idea .Lets give them more time to develop the bomb with sanctions .listen up U.N. When it comes to dealing with ANY country re: North Korea or Iran in this case , regarding world issues .The country having buissness directly related to the issue should not have a vote on sanction wording or the outcome of the vote .

[scouser691]

Can't see why those Iranians are so belligerent towards the US. All we did was overthrow their democratically elected leader and install a brutal puppet dictator. Besides look at that beacon of democracy we've created next door, we just wanna do the same for them.

[emtak1]

What difference does it make what China and Russia think? I'm not Chinese and I'm not a Russian thank God. I don't put up with my president poisoning citizens with radiation or one who executes citzens and then charges the family for the bullet.

Americans need to think for themselves.

[emtak1]

Funny thing about the oil is, when It comes down to it, I doubt we need it as bad as we thing we do. There are multiple alternative energy platforms and processes that are quickly evolving. And the full force of American ingenuity has not even come close to being brought bear on them: Wind Power, Geothermal home heating, advances in solar power, Ethanol, polydethermalization, to mention a handul. And I'm not particularly up on the subject.