The Iranian president, who is attending an international summit in Istanbul, warns that new United Nations sanctions could mean the end of talks over the country's controversial nuclear energy program. The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on new sanctions against Iran later this week over its nuclear energy program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday issued a tough warning to the United States over efforts to introduce new sanctions against Iran.
Mr. Ahmadinejad says that the U.S. government and its allies are mistaken if they think they can brandish the stick of a U.N. resolution and then sit down to talk with Iran. Such a thing, he says, will not happen.
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President Ahmadinejad made his warning at a news conference on the fringe of a Eurasia summit being held in Istanbul.
The Iranian president also praised his Turkish hosts for their efforts to resolve the crisis over Iran's nuclear energy program. The United States and its allies suspect the program is a cover for building weapons - a charge Tehran denies.
Last month Turkey and Brazil, both non-permanent members of the Security Council, brokered a deal with Iran in which Iranian uranium would be exported abroad to be reprocessed so it can not be used for nuclear weapons. But Washington said the agreement was not enough.
The United Nations already has imposed three rounds of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programs and a vote on a fourth is expected this week. Turkey is lobbying against new sanctions, which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says do not work.
Mr. Erdogan met with his Russian counterpart Vladamir Putin who is also attending the Istanbul summit. Following the meeting, Mr. Putin said sanctions against Iran should not be severe.
The Iranian president in his press conference warned Russia not to make the Iranians an enemy. Mr. Ahmadinejad meets with the Russian prime minister later Tuesday.
