Iran condemns G8 sanctions threat

TEHRAN, June 9 (Reuters) Iran today brushed aside warnings by G8 leaders that it would face further UN sanctions if it failed to halt uranium enrichment work.

''Using the tool of sanctions and imposing isolation by some powers who claim to be democratic will not have an impact on the firm will of the nation and government of the Islamic Republic of Iran to reach its obvious right,'' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini.

He said the G8 statement contradicted the will of the international community ''to solve the issue peacefully through talks and negotiations'', according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

The Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations, meeting in Germany this week, vowed ''further appropriate measures'' -- code for sanctions -- if Iran continued to ignore calls by the UN Security Council for it to halt uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for power stations or atomic bombs.

The United Nations has imposed two rounds of sanctions on Iran for not stopping enrichment.

Iran says its nuclear programme is for electricity generation and has refused to give up what it says is its right under an international treaty. The West fears Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog, says questions about Iran's programme remain.

''Iran ... welcomes diplomatic solutions and especially the mechanism of negotiations and talks for answering any possible questions and ambiguities about its peaceful nuclear programme,'' Hosseini said.

He also accused Britain of threatening international peace and security, particularly in the West Asia region, by launching the first of the new Astute class nuclear-powered submarines, yesterday.

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