TEHERAN, Iran — As Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad warned western nations to stop their "bullying and occupation" or face "defeat and humiliation," Teheran on Tuesday confirmed it has invited representatives of world powers to tour its nuclear sites. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the invitation went to "the EU, the non-aligned movement and representatives from 5+1 countries." Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said the invitation went to "the EU, the non-aligned movement and representatives from 5+1 countries."

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The "5+1" countries are the six world powers engaged in negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program — the United States, Britain, France, Russia , China and Germany. The proposed tour would take place before Iran meets with the 5+1 nations in Turkey in late January for the next round of nuclear talks.





He said the invitation to visit is an indication of his country's "good will" regarding its nuclear program. Ahmedinejad, however, had harsh words for the West during a speech in the province of Semnan on Tuesday, telling them to "respect other nations and their rights. Stop aggression and invasion … In doing so, nations will forgive you and give you an opportunity to make up for your past errors and heinous crimes,” he was quoted by Press TV as saying. Ahmedinejad, however, had harsh words for the West during a speech in the province of Semnan on Tuesday, telling them to "respect other nations and their rights. Stop aggression and invasion … In doing so, nations will forgive you and give you an opportunity to make up for your past errors and heinous crimes,” he was quoted by Press TV as saying. "You should know that the continuation of your past trend will yield no result for you but further defeat and humiliation," he added. "You should know that the continuation of your past trend will yield no result for you but further defeat and humiliation," he added. "You must accept that you have … committed mistakes, that you have taken a deviant path. You need to return from that path and scrap your dominance over some parts of the world,” Ahmadinejad said.



US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley on Monday said Iran's invitation is "a clever ploy, but it's not a substitute for Iran's responsibilities to the IAEA," The New York Times reported. "You must accept that you have … committed mistakes, that you have taken a deviant path. You need to return from that path and scrap your dominance over some parts of the world,” Ahmadinejad said.US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley on Monday said Iran's invitation is "a clever ploy, but it's not a substitute for Iran's responsibilities to the IAEA,"reported.

He added that Iran's nuclear enrichment activities violated six United Nations Security Council resolutions. cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: '36af7c51-0caf-4741-9824-2c941fc6c17b' }).render('4c4d856e0e6f4e3d808bbc1715e132f6'); }); China on Tuesday confirmed it had received the invitation to tour Iran's nuclear sites but did not immediately say if it would send anyone. China on Tuesday confirmed it had received the invitation to tour Iran's nuclear sites but did not immediately say if it would send anyone. European diplomats who were invited said they were unlikely to accept the invitation, if at all, until after the next round of talks on Iran's nuclear program. European diplomats who were invited said they were unlikely to accept the invitation, if at all, until after the next round of talks on Iran's nuclear program.

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“It won’t draw international attention away from the issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program,” Crowley stated.While no reason was given for the timing of the offer, it comes just weeks before Iran and the six powers follow up on recent talks that ended with agreement on little else but to meet again.The offer of a visit comes more than three years after six diplomats from developing nations accredited to the IAEA visited Iran's uranium ore conversion site at Isfahan, which turns raw uranium into the feedstock gas that is then enriched. Participants then told reporters they could not make an assessment of Iran's nuclear aims based on that visit to that facility in central Iran.But the new offer appeared more wide ranging, both as far as nations or groups invited and sites to be visited.Dated Dec. 27, the four paragraph letter obtained Monday by the AP offered no details beyond offering an all-expenses paid "visit to Iran's nuclear sites."