Iran nuke official cites 'discrimination'

VIENNA, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- Iran's top nuclear official told a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna that Iran has faced discrimination over its nuclear plans.

"Today, the IAEA General Conference, as the highest decision making body on peaceful nuclear activities of the member states, is the best opportunity for explaining the deprivations and discrimination imposed on the noble and steady nation of Iran," Iran's Fars News Agency quoted Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, as saying to the conference.

Aghazadeh said the nation's energy woes were worsened when France ceased working with the country to construct the Bushehr power plant following the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

The official said Western nations have since chosen "the 'confrontation path' instead of the path of 'understanding and amity' towards the great nation of Iran and in practice proved that you cannot tolerate the addition of independent states and developing countries to the ongoing caravan of the owners of this modern technology."

Aghazadeh concluded by saying Iran remains committed to "pursuing the peaceful nuclear technology for its development and prosperity."