Voice of America, 6 October 2008

Iranian media say the country's top nuclear negotiator has vowed not to give in to foreign pressure to halt Iran's uranium enrichment.

Representatives of Saeed Jalili on Monday handed a letter to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana. Media reports say it complains that western pressure on Iran has harmed negotiations.

The letter was also to go to the foreign ministers of the six powers -- Russia, China, the United States, France, Britain and Germany -- that have offered incentives and imposed sanctions to get Iran to stop uranium enrichment.

A U.S. State Department spokesman confirmed receipt of the letter, but said there would be no public comment before U.S. officials discuss the letter with the other powers.

Separately, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says he doubts the world can stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb.

Scheffer, who is not directly involved in negotiations with Iran, told a World Policy Conference meeting in Evian, France that the United Nations Security Council appears unlikely to agree on further sanctions against Tehran.

Enriched uranium is used to make nuclear weapons, but Iran says it will use it solely for peaceful purposes.

Western nations lashed out at Tehran during a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency last week.

But the six powers, five of them U.N. Security Council members, recently deadlocked on further action against Iran, leading to a U.N. resolution last month saying only that the world body reaffirms earlier sanctions.

Iranian media report the nation's top nuclear negotiator is warning that foreign efforts to have Iran stop enriching uranium will not work.

A letter by Saeed Jalili was handed to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana Monday. Media reports say it complains that the international approach to discussing Iran's nuclear program has harmed negotiations.

The letter was also to go to the foreign ministers of the six powers - Russia, China, the United States, France, Britain and Germany - who have offered incentives and imposed sanctions to get Iran to stop uranium enrichment. Enriched uranium is used to make nuclear weapons, but Iran says it will use it solely for peaceful purposes.

Western nations lashed out at Tehran during a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency last week.

But the six powers, five of them U.N. Security Council members, recently deadlocked on further action against Iran, leading to a U.N. resolution last month saying only that the world body reaffirms earlier sanctions.

The Reuters news agency today quotes NATO Secretary General as saying he is concerned the Security Council is incapable of further sanctions. The news agency says Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told a meeting in Evian, France, that he has doubts the world can stop Iran from striving to get a bomb.