Tehran: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei on Sunday denied the West's charge that Tehran aims to
develop nuclear weapons under a covert programme, insisting
the Islamic republic bans such activity.
"They falsely accuse the Islamic republic of producing
nuclear weapons. We fundamentally reject nuclear weapons and
prohibit the production and the use of nuclear weapons,"
Khamenei said in a speech broadcast by state television.
"They know themselves that it's not true ... but it is
part of Iran-phobia policy that controls the behaviour of
these arrogant governments today."
The comments came ahead of a meeting in two weeks between
Iran and six world powers which have demanded Tehran halt its
uranium enrichment programme -- a process which can be used to
make material for an atomic bomb.
Iran has so far defied the demand, insisting its
programme is for peaceful nuclear energy. It denies
accusations by the United States, European powers and
Israel that it is covertly seeking to build a nuclear weapon.
The comments by Khamenei, the country's all-powerful
leader, came after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said
on Tuesday that Iran must answer "head on" concerns about its
nuclear programme at the meeting with world powers.
The Iranian leader demanded that the West revise its
policy.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, September 20, 2009, 18:50