Iranian president vows to press ahead with uranium enrichment despite IAEA censure

TEHRAN, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday vowed to press ahead with uranium enrichment, dismissing a resolution by the UN nuclear watchdog that declared Tehran out of compliance with its nuclear obligations.

Speaking in Ilam province in western Iran, Pezeshkian said Iran would not alter its nuclear course despite the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) Board of Governors adopting a resolution earlier in the day.

"We will continue our path, will have enrichment, and will not give up on the current process," he said, according to state news agency IRNA. "Even if they bomb our nuclear facilities, our capabilities are in our minds, and we will rebuild regardless of what they do."

The Iranian president also reiterated that Tehran is not seeking nuclear weapons. He said Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued a binding decree forbidding the development of nuclear arms. "Under this directive, we have not and will not pursue nuclear weapons," he said.

The IAEA resolution, backed by France, Britain, Germany, and the United States, passed with 19 votes in favor, three against, and 11 abstentions from the agency's 35-member board. The move could pave the way for triggering the so-called "snapback" mechanism, a provision of the 2015 nuclear deal allowing the reimposition of UN sanctions if Iran fails to meet its commitments.

Iran signed the 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Under the deal, Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

The United States, led by President Donald Trump during his first term, unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to reduce compliance with its nuclear commitments gradually.

In a joint statement, Iran's Foreign Ministry and the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) denounced the resolution as "politically motivated." They said Iran had "no choice but to respond," announcing plans to begin operating a new uranium enrichment facility and to upgrade centrifuges at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, replacing older IR-1 machines with advanced IR-6 models.

NUCLEAR TALKS WITH U.S. & POSSIBLE ISRAELI ATTACKS

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Iran would proceed with a sixth round of indirect nuclear talks with the United States in Muscat, Oman, scheduled for Sunday.

Araghchi acknowledged that the IAEA resolution had further complicated the negotiations but said Iran would attend the talks to "defend the rights of the Iranian nation, the country's principled positions, and the achievements of our nuclear scientists," according to the Foreign Ministry.

Meanwhile, U.S.-based NBC News, citing five unnamed sources familiar with the situation, reported that Israel was considering launching an attack on Iran within days, without U.S. support, as Washington still hoped for talks.

Trump acknowledged on Thursday that an Israeli strike on Iran "may very well happen," though he stopped short of calling it imminent, and said the risk of "massive conflict" led the United States to reduce its staff in the region.

In response, Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Hossein Salami said on Thursday that Iran was prepared for any scenario.

"At times, the enemy utters military threats against us. We have always said, and today also say, that we are completely ready for any scenario, situation, and circumstance," said Salami.

The U.S. President urged Israel not to attack Iran, asserting that a deal on its nuclear program remained close. "We are fairly close to a pretty good agreement," Trump told reporters. Asked about his discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said: "I don't want them going in, because I think it would blow it." ■