Iran says no to moratorium on enrichment

Larijani said Iran was ready for any inspections by the IAEA if the inspections complied with international law. He said questions from the UN nuclear agency that Iran was answering were not related to the moratorium. “We have no extraordinary demands, we are defending the rights given to Iran within the IAEA. We agree to IAEA inspections, to those international inspections that are legal,” Larijani was quoted as saying by Ria Novosti. His comments came ahead of the Moscow talks, the third since last month, which began at a public hotel here. The talks at the Golden Ring Hotel, which started after a small delay, is expected to last not less than four hours, according to ITAR-TASS news agency.

Russian leaders, including Foreign Minister Sergei lavrov, have insisted on restoration of status quo by Tehran that existed before last vote by the UN nuclear watchdog’s Board of Governors meeting in Vienna.

Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad arrived in Malaysia today to seek support for his country’s controversial nuclear programme, analysts and diplomats said.

Bush repeats: Iran can’t have N-weapons

Kabul: US President George W Bush said during his first visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

‘‘Iran must not have a nuclear weapon. The most destabilising thing that can happen in this region and in the world is for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon,’’ he said.‘‘And so the world is speaking with one voice to the Iranians that it’s ok for you to have a civilian nuclear power operation, but you shall not have the means, the knowledge to develop a nuclear weapon,’’ he added.

‘‘I repeat to you, the most destabilising thing that can happen is for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and we will work with friends and allies to convince them not to.’’ —AFP/PTI