West will have to live with nuclear Iran: Ahmadinejad

8220;We have said repeatedly that if the West wanted to exploit the UN Security Council it will not only have no influence but make us more determined to pursue our nuclear goals even faster,8221; he told the hardline Kayhan daily.

Such a move would mark an important step for Iran towards an industrial scale enrichment of uranium, a process the West wants the Islamic republic to suspend as it can be used to make both fuel and nuclear bombs.

So far, Iran has two cascades of 164 centrifuges at the plant in Natanz in central Iran, which it has used to enrich uranium on a research scale to levels high enough to make nuclear fuel.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in a speech in Tehran, dismissed the UN resolution as just a 8220;scrap of paper8221; and said the West would have to learn to live with Iran possessing nuclear technology. 8220;Whether the West likes it or not, Iran is a nuclear country and it is in their interests to live alongside Iran,8221; the Fars agency quoted him as saying.

Iran has maintained that it wants to have the 3,000 new centrifuges installed by March and Ahmadinejad has said the Islamic republic will be able to celebrate its 8220;nuclearisation8221; around that time. 8220;We will accelerate our programme to install the 3,000 centrifuges8221; in response to the resolution, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the influential head of parliament8217;s security and foreign affairs committee, told state radio.

After weeks of diplomatic wrangling, the UNSC yesterday adopted a resolution, which imposes restrictions on Iran8217;s nuclear industry and ballistic missile programme.

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, charges vehemently denied by the Islamic republic, which says it only wants to provide energy to a growing population.

Iran has succeeded in enriching uranium to levels of around five per cent in its research work at Natanz but this is well off the 90 per cent levels required to make an atomic weapon. Foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini also warned that Iran8217;s cooperation with the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog could be reduced after the resolution.

8220;The resolution is contrary to legal principles. Therefore, it should not be expected that we will continue our work with the IAEA at the same level.

Sanctions not to achieve Iran8217;s nuke disarmament, says China

BEIJING: China, which has just inked a major gas deal with Iran, has emphasised that though it voted to impose UN sanctions on Tehran, such a move would not solve the Iranian nuclear issue, which required continued diplomatic efforts.

8220;We hope the resolution is earnestly enforced, but we also think that sanctions are not the objective and cannot be a permanent solution to the problem,8221; Liu said. 8220;The Chinese side appeals to all parties to continue all-out diplomatic efforts to push for an early resumption of talks and seek a long-term, comprehensive solution,8221; he said.

8220;China has always supported the international non-proliferation system, opposing the proliferation of nuclear weapons, and hopes there is no new unrest in the Middle East,8221; Liu said.

He said China also supported political and diplomatic efforts to peacefully solve the Iran nuclear question by

talks. The UNSC resolution 1737 demands that Iran end all research on uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants as well as for bombs, and halt all research and development on methods of producing or delivering atomic weapons.