Iran Sunday accused the United States of waging a "psychological
war" against its nuclear program after a published report described
Pentagon planning for possible military strikes against Iranian
atomic facilities.
A report by influential investigative journalist Seymour Hersh
in The New Yorker magazine, citing unnamed current and
former officials, said Washington has stepped up plans for possible
attacks on Iranian facilities to curb its atomic work.
The article said the United States was considering using
tactical nuclear weapons to destroy Iran's underground uranium
enrichment facilities at Natanz, south of Teheran.
"This is a psychological war launched by Americans because they
feel angry and desperate regarding Iran's nuclear dossier," Foreign
Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told a weekly news
conference.
"We will stand by our right to nuclear technology. It is our red
line. We are ready to deal with any possible scenario. Iran is not
afraid of threatening language," he added.
The United Nations has called on Iran to halt uranium
enrichment, which the West believes Iran is pursuing to acquire
technology to make a nuclear bomb. Iran has rejected the demand and
insists it only wants to make fuel for civilian uses.
Iran's decision in January to resume enrichment prompted
Britain, France and Germany to break off two and a half years of EU
talks with Teheran and back a US demand to refer Iran to the UN
Security Council, which can impose sanctions.
Asefi said Iran was ready to continue its co-operation with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and said IAEA chief
Mohamed ElBaradei would visit Iran by Friday to discuss Iran's
co-operation with the IAEA.
(China Daily April 10, 2006)
