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Iran blames world powers for NKorea test
AFP
TEHRAN
Petroleumworld.com 10 10 06
Iran on Tuesday said world powers should bear responsibility for North Korea's nuclear test, blaming the move on their own quest for atomic arms.
"The major powers feel that they are entitled to use and produce nuclear weapons," government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham told reporters.
"This injustice, inequality and discrimination in international law has resulted in such threats to world peace" as the North Korean test, he added.
Elham also reaffirmed Iran's opposition to nuclear weapons after North Korea's announcement on Monday it has successfully held an underground nuclear test.
Iran has repeatedly insisted its own nuclear programme is solely for peaceful energy needs, vehemently rejecting allegations that it is seeking atomic weapons.
North Korea's atomic test came as the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany were preparing to discuss the prospect of imposing sanctions on Iran over its failure to suspend uranium enrichment operations.
"The peaceful use of nuclear technology is for all but military use and weapons should be denied for all. Nobody is eligible to use nuclear bombs," added Elham.
Elham was quoted earlier by the state news agency IRNA as saying: "The best solution to combat nuclear weapons is for the big powers to start by destroying them themselves."
AFP 10 0817 GMT 10 06
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