Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s president urged the United States and Russia Wednesday to back the nuclear fuel deal, saying that the US will miss a historic opportunity for improved cooperation from Iran if the offer is rejected. He also warned the west that it would be the last “opportunity” to resolve the atomic standoff.

Earlier Washington has denounced the Iranian proposal – brokered last week by Brazil and Turkey -submitted on Monday to the UN. Denouncing the proposal US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tehran’s offer was inadequate and did not address international concerns about Iran’s atomic ambitions.

Nuclear fuel deal was Tehran’s last attempt to avoid a new round of UN sanctions over its controversial nuclear program, which the West fears is geared toward nuclear weapons. Iran proposal was to ship much of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for nuclear fuel rods needed for a Tehran medical research reactor. The swap would diminish Iran’s stockpile of low-enriched uranium that can possibly be used in making atomic bombs, if the uranium is enriched to a higher, weapons-grade level.

Addressing a gathering in Kerman, a southern city of Iran, Ahmadinejad said “There are people in the world who want to pit Mr. Obama against the Iranian nation and bring him to the point of no return, where the path to his friendship with Iran will be blocked forever,” He also issued a stern warning to Russia, saying Moscow’s support for the US-led push for new UN sanctions against Iran was contrary to the two countries’ neighborly and friendly relations.

“If they (US and its allies) are truthful when they say they seek cooperation … they should accept this offer,” Ahmadinejad said. “But if they seek excuses, they should know that the path to any interaction will be closed.” “Mr. Obama must know that this proposal is a historic opportunity … (Obama should) know that if this opportunity is lost, I doubt the Iranian nation will give a new chance to this gentleman in the future,” he added.

Mentioning the stand by Russia, He said “Justifying the behavior of Mr. Medvedev today has become very difficult,”. “The Iranian nation doesn’t know whether (Russians) ultimately are friends, whether they stand by us or are after other things. This is not acceptable.” He also added that Moscow had no excuse for giving in to US pressure, and urged Medvedev to change his stance.

[Source: Arabnews]