TEHRAN – Former president Mohammad Khatami said on Wednesday that Iran should not renounce its nuclear rights “even if it takes us longer to reach them.”

Nuclear rights should be the red line in nuclear diplomacy, he told reporters as he was visiting the international book fair in northern Tehran.

“I believe Iran should try to resolve the nuclear issue within the framework of law,” the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted him as saying.

He added that efforts should continue for defending the rights of the Iranian nation, but cautioned against adopting any incorrect policy. Khatami refused to comment on President Mahmud Ahmadinejad’s letter to his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush.

“I will not give any opinion in this regard since I am not aware of the intention behind this act.”