DPRK Opposes All Forms of Sanctions and Pressure--KCNA

Pyongyang, December 12 (KCNA) -- The U.S. and West are toughening their moves to check Iran's nuclear program for peaceful purposes before and after the meeting of the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Just after the IAEA made public a report, U.S. President Obama called for exploring every possible means to ratchet up pressure on Iran, openly revealing the U.S. stand not to rule out a military option.

The West including the U.S. has become unprecedented in tightening sanctions against Iran over oil, gas and bank fields.

With nothing can the U.S. justify this as it is a wanton violation of the sovereignty and dignity of a sovereign country.

In response to the West moves, Iran has taken tougher policy, asserting it would not rule out military showdown.

Its president clarified the stand not to make any concession in its right to peaceful nuclear development, stressing it will not establish any relations with the U.S. in the future, either.

The Iranian military announced that if aggressors make an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, they will be made to pay a dear price.

The speaker of the Iranian Majlis said that the West unreasonable sanctions will not impact the Iranian people's will to step up nuclear program.

The bloated Iran's nuclear issue and tensions running high in the region are attributable to the U.S. improper moves to hold in check the peaceful nuclear activities of those countries incurring its displeasure.

Iran has been subject to sanctions by the U.S. and the West for scores of years after it set up an anti-imperialist independent government. The IAEA's report on Iran's nuclear issue was made public in November to upgrade sanctions on Iran.

The report has assumed political nature due to the deliberate moves of the U.S. and its followers and information has been revised to make Iran's nuclear issue appear to have military dimensions.

It is quite natural that the report was dismissed and rejected by the international community as a "brainchild" of the U.S. and West and an absurd trick and fabrication full of falsity and deception as soon as it was released.

Nevertheless, the U.S. and West are pushing the Mideast situation to the worst phase, persistently taking issue with Iran's nuclear program. Clear is their aim.

It is their real intention to strike Iran's economic mainstay in a bid to stifle it and overturn the present Islamic system.

Their sanctions and pressure on Iran are by no means aimed at nuclear non-proliferation.

Iran's acute nuclear issue and touch-and-go situation created in the Mideast are due to the U.S. and the Western forces following it.

This clearly proves that the U.S. is the chieftain which deliberately gave rise to Iran's nuclear issue and coiled up the tension in the Mideast.

The U.S. sanctions on Iran would only strain regional and overall international situation and bring catastrophic consequences to global economy.

All forms of sanctions and pressure on Iran including military option should be renounced with immediate effect.

Iran's nuclear issue should be settled through dialogue and negotiations.

The DPRK opposes and rejects the U.S. and West attempt to abuse peaceful nuclear issue as a means for overthrowing the system of a sovereign state. -0-