Iran on Tuesday said economic incentives may help improve foreign relations but won't permanently stop Tehran from pursuing a nuclear program it says is for generating electricity. The United States agreed last week to drop opposition to Iranian membership in the World Trade Organization and to allow some sales of spare parts for civilian aircraft as part of a European plan that offers economic incentives for the Tehran government to permanently freeze its nuclear activities. Washington accuses Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to build an atomic bomb but Tehran has rejected the charges, saying its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity, not bomb. Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty allows Iran to pursue a peaceful nuclear program including enriching uranium and Tehran won't allow anybody to deny them of that right. "Economic incentives can't replace our rights. Our legitimate rights can't be compensated through economic incentives," Kharrazi told a press conference Tuesday. "That America corrects part of its past mistakes is not incentive," he said of Washington dropping its opposition, but offered: "(That) may be effective to help improve relations between Iran and the U.S." --SP 1348 Local Time 1048 GMT
