Feed: CNN.com - WORLD
Posted on: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 2:22 PM
Author: CNN.com - WORLD
Subject: Report: Iran mastering nuclear weapons
Officials from France, Israel and China all issued strong statements Wednesday in response to a new report that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons. |
Several countries criticize Iran's nuclear program
- A nuclear watchdog report expresses serious concern over Iran's nuclear program
- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismisses the report as fabrication
- France says "sanctions of an unprecedented scale" are an option
(CNN) -- Officials from France, Israel and China all issued strong statements Wednesday in response to a new report that Iran may be developing nuclear weapons.
"The groundbreaking report just published by the International Atomic Energy Agency reinforces France's deep concern with regards to Iran's nuclear program," France's Foreign Ministry said. "France believes that it must make a breakthrough in strengthening diplomatic pressure on Iran. If Iran refuses to comply with the demands of the international community and denies any serious cooperation, we stand ready to adopt, with all the countries that will follow, sanctions of an unprecedented scale."
The IAEA report, released Tuesday, found no evidence that Iran has made a strategic decision to actually build a bomb. But its nuclear program is more ambitious and structured, and more progress has been made than previously known, the report said.
"The agency has serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear program," the report said. "After assessing carefully and critically the extensive information available to it, the agency finds the information to be, overall, credible. The information indicates that Iran has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device."
Ahmadinejad: Look at U.S. nuclear arms 
Report: Iran pursuing nuclear weapons Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad slammed the report as a fabrication of facts aimed at satisfying U.S. allegations about Iran's nuclear program. Ahmadinejad continued his criticisms of the United States and other nuclear powers during a speech Wednesday.
"They are all armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons but, quite unashamedly, they accuse Iran of trying to acquire nuclear weapons," Ahmadinejad said. "Know that this nation will not retreat an iota from its(position)."
Tzipi Livni, Israeli opposition leader and former foreign minister, said "there is need for more effective sanctions. It's clear that Iran is trying to achieve a nuclear weapon and Iran needs to be stopped. Iran needs to understand ... that all options are on the table."
China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said, "Iran bears the responsibilities of nuclear non-proliferation. China has consistently advocated using dialogue and cooperation to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue."
According to the IAEA report, Iran is believed to have continued weapons research and technology development after 2003, when the intelligence community thought Iran had stopped. Instead of halting, it seems Iran took a temporary hiatus at the time, although the program progressed at a more modest pace since then, the report said.
After the report's release, top Republicans in Congress called on President Barack Obama's administration to ratchet up economic sanctions against Iran. Rep. Mike Rogers, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, raised the fear that Israel would attack Iranian nuclear facilities without further steps by the United States and its allies.
Brig. Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy head of Iran's armed forces joint chiefs of staff, told the Arabic-language Al-Alam television network that the nation is ready for any attack.
"The Iranian response to any possible assault will go beyond the Middle East," Jazayeri, said.
Western powers have long suspected that Iran's nuclear program is geared toward weapons development. The United States is looking to increase the heat on Iran, including a possible strengthening of existing sanctions on Iran's financial and banking sectors and additional political pressure -- all of which could be applied by the United States alone or in coordination with other allies.
The United States also hopes international organizations, such as the United Nations, will take steps to further isolate Iran diplomatically.
CNN's Yousuf Basil, Haolan Hong and Kevin Flower contributed to this report.
Loading weather data ...
© 2011 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment