West mulls pinning down Iran
Iran was under fresh scrutiny yesterday after the UN atomic watchdog released reams of what it called "credible" intelligence suggesting Tehran had worked on developing nuclear weapons.
With Washington threatening to increase international pressure on Iran and Israel's president stoking speculation of a pre-emptive strike, the International Atomic Energy Agency report was set to stoke Middle East tensions.
Meanwhile Iran says it will not retreat 'one iota' from its nuclear programme.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian president gave a passionate speech to thousands of supporters in central Iran, and broadcast on live state television, denouncing the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which published its findings yesterday.
He hit out at the IAEA, saying it is discrediting itself by siding with 'baseless' US claims that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
His deputy armed forces chief, Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, warned however that any sign of Israel carrying out threats to attack Iran's nuclear sites "will see its destruction."
But he also stated that "our response would not be limited to the Middle East."
The Vienna-based watchdog said it had "serious concerns" based on "credible" information indicating that the Islamic republic "has carried out activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device."
Although some of the areas listed in 12 dense pages of intelligence "have civilian as well as military applications," the keenly-awaited report said that "others are specific to nuclear weapons."
Activities included computer modelling of a nuclear warhead, testing explosives in a large chamber at the Parchin military base near Tehran and studying how to arm a Shahab 3 medium-range missile with an atomic warhead.
"The report details Iranian activities that can only be explained if the purpose was to develop a nuclear bomb," one Western diplomat in Vienna said.
The United States said the report showed that Iran had lied and said it would seek to ratchet up pressure and may seek new sanctions.
But analysts said that the report was not enough of a "smoking gun" for the United States and its allies to be able to convince fellow UN Security Council permanent members Russia and China of the need for more sanctions.
He said however that the US could make a "very strong case" for strengthening the existing sanctions, since they give countries latitude to take additional steps of their own that could hurt Iran's uranium enrichment activities.
Russia and China are likely to block any attempt by the IAEA board to report Iran to the UN Security Council when the board meets next Thursday and Friday in Vienna, experts said.
Moscow on Tuesday even went so far as to express anger over the publication of the report, saying it risked damaging the chance of a renewal of talks, with the foreign ministry saying it was "gravely disappointed and bewildered."
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