Iran condemns G8 stance on nuke program

Iran condemns G8 stance on nuke program

But Hosseini said the G8 statement went against what he called the intent of the international community, to work on the nuclear issue through talks and negotiation.

He reiterated that Iran would not accept demands that it suspend uranium enrichment, which can be used both to generate energy and to create a nuclear weapon, before any negotiations.

The Group of Eight (G8) industrialized countries said Friday they would "support adopting further measures" if Iran refused to put a halt to its uranium enrichment program.

The G8 leaders, at a summit in Germany, said they would back UN Security Council moves on a third set of sanctions against Iran if Tehran failed to suspend the program.

On Tuesday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran's nuclear program could not be stopped, and that any Western attempt to force a halt to uranium enrichment would be like playing "with the lion's tail."

The Security Council first imposed sanctions on Iran in December and modestly increased them in March over Iran's refusal to suspend enrichment.

Iran says it is within its rights to pursue uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.

The United States and some of its allies fear that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons program under cover of its civilian nuclear activities.

Iran denies that and says its program is aimed at peaceful purposes such as generating electrical energy.