"(Iran's) Agreement with the negotiations was aimed at breaking the hostile atmosphere created by the arrogance front against Iran and these negotiations should continue, but everyone should know that the Islamic Republic of Iran's activities in the field of nuclear research and development will not stop at all and none of the nuclear achievements can be closed while relations between the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran should stay conventional and should not grow extraordinary," Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing directors and experts of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) in Tehran on Wednesday.
"Negotiations don’t mean that the Islamic Republic of Iran will withdraw from its scientific nuclear move and the Iranian negotiators should insist on continued nuclear research and development (in their talks with the world powers)," he added.
"None of Iran's nuclear achievements can be shut down and no one has the right to make a deal over them and no one will do so," the Leader said, calling on the AEOI experts and officials to continue their progress seriously and powerfully.
Elsewhere, he rejected the western claims that their differences with Iran and sanctions against the country are just rooted in Tehran's nuclear activities, and said if no nuclear issue existed, they would raise other excuses as now, during the course of the negotiations, the Americans raise human rights issues as an excuse and if the human rights issue is settled, they will seek other excuses."
He underscored the necessity for continued talks with the world powers, but just over the nuclear issue, and said Iran knows that the West is just seeking excuses for its animosity towards the Islamic Republic, but it continues the talks in a bid to show the world its goodwill and also disclosed the reality of the West's unreal allegations against Iran's nuclear activities.
Yet, the Leader stressed that "our negotiators shouldn’t accept any bullying words from the other side".
The Leader's remarks came as representatives of Iran and the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) started another round of talks on a comprehensive nuclear agreement in Vienna on Tuesday morning. The fresh round of talks comes after a breakthrough temporary deal between Tehran and the sextet in Geneva in November followed by two rounds of talks between experts of Iran and the six power and two sets of meetings between senior negotiators of the seven nations.
