Bali (Indonesia): With the IAEA weighing
options to deal with Iran's nuclear programme, Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on Friday said the issue should be dealt with
diplomatically as he discussed it with US President Barack
Obama.
Singh, who met Obama on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit
said matters relating to Iran's nuclear programme should be
dealt with diplomatically.
With the UN nuclear watchdog, IAEA, coming out with the
damning report against Iran on its atomic programme, official
sources had said it was a "disturbing" development and made it
clear that it did not want a nuclear-armed Iran.
"It is disturbing," they had said while commenting on the
International Atomic Energy Agency's report that Iran
carried out "activities relevant to the development of a
nuclear explosive device".
The sources said if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, it
would have security implications for the region which India
did not want.
This is why India had voted on resolutions at
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) against Iran, they
pointed out.
At the same time, the sources noted India's contention
that Iran had the right to peaceful use of nuclear energy as
per the international norms.
While the IAEA report that came out last week almost
accused Iran of trying to pursue nuclear arms, Tehran rejected
the report as "baseless".
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 18, 2011, 18:08