IRAN SAID ON SUNDAY IT WOULD NOT ABANDON ITS WORK ON URANIUM ENRICHMENT, WHICH THE UNITED NATIONS HAS DEMANDED IT HALT, AND WAS PREPARED TO FACE THE CONSEQUENCES. "IRAN'S URANIUM ENRICHMENT AND NUCLEAR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ARE IRREVERSIBLE," FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN HAMID REZA ASEFI TOLD A WEEKLY NEWS CONFERENCE. THE U.N. NUCLEAR WATCHDOG, THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA), IS DUE TO REPORT BY AN APRIL 28 DEADLINE ON WHETHER IRAN IS COMPLYING WITH A U.N. DEMAND THAT IT HALT ENRICHMENT. IF THE (IAEA) REPORT CONTAINS EXPERT ASSESSMENT, THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT TO WORRY ABOUT," ASEFI SAID. "HOWEVER, IF THE REPORT COMES OUT AND SOMEHOW PUTS PRESSURE ON IRAN OR SPEAKS WITH A LANGUAGE OF THREATS, NATURALLY IRAN WILL NOT ABANDON ITS RIGHTS AND IT IS PREPARED FOR ALL POSSIBLE SITUATIONS AND HAS PLANNED FOR THEM," HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING BY REUTERS.
