Tehran- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised the Iranian people on Sunday that they would hear good news on the country's nuclear developments soon, official news agency IRNA reported. "The Iranian nation will hear good news about nuclear developments soon," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by the agency, but no details were given about what the "good news" would be.
This is the second time the president has promised "good news" about the latest developments in Iran's controversial nuclear programme. The United States and its Western allies suspect that Teheran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Tehran has repeatedly denied the charges and insists that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, mainly for producing electricity.
Ahmadinejad, who said in early February that he would disclose details of nuclear developments, was expected to announce the news on February 11 during the ceremony to mark the 28th anniversary of Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution. However, he refrained from making any comments at that time and said he would make an announcement at a later stage.
Observers believe that the Iranian leadership chose to wait for the results of diplomatic efforts by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and the United Nations Security Council's second resolution.
The UN Security Council last month imposed stricter sanctions on Iran for its continued refusal to suspend uranium enrichment - the process which makes nuclear fuel but can be used as well to make the fissile core of an atom bomb.
Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki called the resolution "an unlawful, unnecessary and unjustifiable action against Iran's peaceful nuclear programme." Ahmadinejad dismissed it as "nothing new" and said that even one hundred more "pieces of paper" would not stop Iran's nuclear programme.
The council's five veto-wielding permanent members - the US, Russia, China, France and Britain - warned of additional measures if Iran fails to suspend uranium enrichment activities and return to negotiations within 60 days.