30 November 2009, Tehran

Parliament speaker Mr. Ali Larijani warned world power today that Tehran could “seriously decrease” its cooperation with the UN atomic watchdog after it demanded Iran halt work on a second nuclear plant. Mr. Ali Larijani told the conservative dominated parliament that washinton and other members of the P5-plus-1 group, who are in talks with Teheran over the nuclear program, must change their approach towards Iran.

“The Iranian parliament warns the US and its other allies not to think that such kind of outdated games will give you a chance for haggling,” said Mr. Larijani, who was Iran’s previous chief nuclear negotiator. “do not make the parliament and the Iranian nation choose another path and seriously decrease cooperation with the IAEA” The international atomic energy agency (IAEA) on Friday demanded that the Iran halt construction of a new Uranium enrichment facility near the Shiite holy city of Qom, known as Fordo, and urged increased cooperation from Teheran on nuclear issues.

Iran’s disclosure of the plant to the IAEA on 21 September triggered widespread outrage in the west while the UN atomic watchdog said Teheran was on the “wrong side of law” by declaring its existence earlier Iran insists it has broken no IAEA regulation in the timing of the disclosure, as no nuclear material had yet been introduced into the facility.