Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Will Respond to United Nations Sanctions

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad points to his supporters as he speaks at a sport complex in the city of Shiraz, 895km (556 miles) south of Tehran April 16, 2007. Iran will announce unspecified new ‘nuclear achievements’ if the United Nations takes fresh steps against it over its disputed atomic program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday.

AP: Iran: Sanctions could spur nuclear push

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday warned that Iran would respond to additional U.N. sanctions with new nuclear advances, in yet another show of defiance to international demands that the country roll back its atomic program.

The U.N. Security Council has set a deadline of late May for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program, warning it will gradually ratchet up its punishments. The council imposed limited sanctions in December and strengthened them slightly last month because of Iran’s refusal to suspend enrichment.

The United Nations sanction resolutions:

UNSC Resolution 1696 (2006)

UNSC Resolution 1737 (2006)

UNSC Resolution 1747 (2007)

And how credible is Ahmadinejad’s threat?

Hell, everyone in the world knows that barring military action by the United States and Israel Iran will not be deterred from obtaining a nuclear weapon. It is a matter of will.

This threat is more cover for the on-going Iranian nuclear weapons program.

During Monday’s speech, Ahmadinejad reiterated that Iran would not back down from its right to pursue nuclear development and maintained the peaceful nature of the country’s program.

“The Iranian nation will use all capacities of nuclear energy in agriculture, industry, medicine and generating electricity,” he said.

Iran’s defiance has heightened concerns in the region that the U.S. or Israel could respond with a military strike against the country’s nuclear facilities.

But, will President Bush pull the trigger?