Iran’s envoy to the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency has vowed that the Islamic republic “will never stop” its controversial uranium enrichment program.

 Ali Asghar Soltanieh, Tehran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told reporters that Iran intends to continue enrichment under IAEA supervision.

The statement came as Tehran on August 28 formally took over the leadership of the Nonaligned Movement (NAM), the 51-year-old grouping of states that do not consider themselves part of any major power bloc.

Iran is this week hosting a summit of NAM leaders.

The UN Security Council has imposed four rounds of sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, a process that could be directed toward development of a nuclear weapon.

Iran denies any effort to make an atomic bomb.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa
By RFE/RL