Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani called on world powers to accept the Islamic Republic as a nuclear power even as top officials vowed no let-up in Tehran's sensitive uranium enrichment drive. Larijani's comments came after the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - plus Germany (5+1) offered to hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear programme1.

• 1. “Middle East Times, World powers must accept a nuclear Iran: Larijani,” April 15, 2009, at http://www.metimes.com/Politics/2009/04/12/world_powers_must_accept_a_nu...