WORLD> Middle East
Ahmadinejad: Iran not violating IAEA rules
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-09-26 03:12

NEW YORK: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says his country has complied with rules of the UN nuclear agency which require that it is informed of any new enrichment facility six months before it becomes operational.

He told a news conference Friday that the new facility won't be operational for 18 months so Iran has not violated any requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The leaders of the United States, Britain and France said Friday the revelation of the previously secret Iranian nuclear facility puts heavy new pressure on Tehran to quickly disclose all its nuclear efforts - including any moves toward weapons development - "or be held accountable."

With talks on the Iranian nuclear program set for October 1, Ahmadinejad says President Barack Obama will regret his statement.

Speaking at an overflowing news conference, Ahmadinejad dodged a question about whether Iran had sufficient enriched uranium to manufacture a nuclear weapon, but said Tehran rejects such armaments as "inhumane."

The Iranian leader was peppered with questions about the nuclear program after Obama, French President Nicolas Sarcozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown spoke Friday at the opening of the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh, disclosing intelligence that showed Iran was constructing the new enrichment facility near Qom, the Shiite Islam holy city about 100 miles southwest of Tehran.

All three leaders said Iran must open the facility to IAEA inspection at once.