Iran was no longer afraid of any financial sanctions being imposed in its row with the West over Iran’s nuclear programmes, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said. The president was referring to reports that Iran could face renewed sanctions if the country failed to meet a September deadline set by US President Barack Obama and approved by the European Union for resuming talks over the country’s nuclear programmes. Ahmadinejad said before and after his re-election in June that Iran would no longer talk to the world powers – namely the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany – over the nuclear dispute but only to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The EU has not yet congratulated Ahmadinejad on his re-election. Ahmadinejad said he did not care about the EU move not to congratulate him but accused the Europeans of blatant interference in Iran’s internal affairs and warned that they faced consequences.