Iran threatens U.S. with “harm and pain”

[sonz]

Iran threatened the United States with “harm and pain” for its role in referring Tehran’s nuclear case to the UN Security Council, Reuters news agency reported.

The Iranian threats came as the International Atomic Energy Agency, meeting in Vienna, forwarded a report on Iran’s nuclear program to the UN Security Council for consideration of possible sanctions.

"The United States may have the power to cause harm and pain but it is also susceptible to harm and pain,“ the Iranian delegation at the IAEA said in a statement.

"So if the United States wishes to choose that path, let the ball roll."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also warned: "If we put up a firm resistance, they will be defeated and humiliated by the Iranian nation's will."

Earlier, Javad Vaidi, Iran's top delegate to the IAEA, said that Iran remained open to negotiations, but stressed that Tehran would continue small-scale uranium enrichment despite opposition by the IAEA.

Vaidi also warned that Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil exporter, might at some point halt its oil exports. “We will not (do so now), but if the situation changes, we will have to review our oil policies."

In response to the Iranian warnings, the U.S. ambassador to the IAEA, Gregory Schulte, called on the Security Council to take punitive action against Tehran in the wake of its “flagrant threats and phoney negotiations".

White House spokesman Scott McClellan also said: “Provocative statements and actions only further isolate Iran from the rest of the world.”

The war of words between Iran and the United States came after the IAEA’s governing board debated a report by its head, Mohamed El-Baradei, that says Tehran will expand nuclear activities.

El-Baradei’s report also said the IAEA couldn’t confirm that Iran wasn’t seeking atomic weapons.

UN diplomats said the Security Council could start debating Iran’s nuclear case as soon as next week. The Council’s first move is likely to be demanding Tehran to cease its nuclear fuel work and co-operate with the IAEA, without setting a deadline or threatening action.

Correspondents say that UN sanctions would face tough resistance from Russia and China, permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The United States and the European Union accuse Iran of secretly developing an atomic weapons program. But Tehran denies their allegations, insisting that it has a right to work on a peaceful nuclear program as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

In an attempt to avoid UN sanctions, Iran said last week it could import most of its nuclear fuel from Russia if it was allowed to enrich only small quantities of uranium.

But the U.S. , the EU and Russia say only a full suspension of Iran's nuclear activities would be acceptable in order to avoid Security Council action

[bangalore bob]

[B]...Vaidi also warned that Iran, the world’s fourth largest oil exporter, might at some point halt its oil exports. “We will not (do so now), but if the situation changes, we will have to review our oil policies."

While that would raise the price of oil around the world, the U.S. doesn't buy ANY oil from Iran so we wouldn't 'suffer' any more than anyone else. And if they stop selling oil, where will they get the money to finish their A-bomb ? Oh yeah, they must be pulling in some money selling the terrorists in Iraq sophisticated I.E.D 's. A bunch of well thought out geniuses !

[renak]

While that would raise the price of oil around the world, the U.S. doesn't buy ANY oil from Iran so we wouldn't 'suffer' any more than anyone else. And if they stop selling oil, where will they get the money to finish their A-bomb ? Oh yeah, they must be pulling in some money selling the terrorists in Iraq sophisticated I.E.D 's. A bunch of well thought out geniuses !

;D lol

[Wahid]

They probebly already have low grade nukes ;D

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[HeiGou]

They probebly already have low grade nukes ;D

But they need more than that. They need to be able to produce one small enough to fit on a rocket. They need to be able to produce a rocket that can scare anyone the US cares about.

So far it is likely that all they can do is irradiate themselves.

The "harm and pain" probably refered to terrorism