Tehran - Iran's foreign ministry Monday criticised comments
by US president Barack Obama of a persistent nuclear threat from
Iran, saying it contradicted the new US administration's slogan of
'change'.
Obama presented a plan to rid the world of atomic weapons in
Prague on Sunday, evoking his successful election campaign slogan of
'Yes we can' to call for world action to face the nuclear threat.
He said his administration would lead a dialogue with Iran but
vowed not to be soft if the effort fails. 'As long as the threat from
Iran persists, we will go forward,' Obama said, following comments
that the threat of global nuclear war had reduced, but the risk of
nuclear attack had increased.
'Mr Obama was repeating the same allegation on the threat of
Iran's nuclear weapon which the former (US) administration used to
claim ... This has neither been approved in the (International Atomic
Energy Agency) IAEA's reports nor in the US intelligence agencies,'
foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi told reporters in Tehran.
'It seems repeating the same allegations of former administration
is in contrary to the slogan of 'change' by the new (US)
administration,' Qashqavi told a news conference.
The United States and some of its European allies fear Tehran's
nuclear activities along with its missile programme are covers to
develop atomic weapons, meaning a missile defence shield was needed.
Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for the peaceful and
scientific purposes such as generation of electricity and launching
telecommunication satellites.
Obama said in the same context that the future of US plans for a
controversial missile defence system in Central Europe depended on
Iran.
'If the Iranian threat is eliminated, we will have a stronger
basis for security and a driving force for missile defence
construction in Europe will be removed,' he said.
USA
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