Tehran denies nuclear weapons allegations
The Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant in Bushehr, southern Iran. The Russiian built and operated nuclear power station has taken 35 years to build due to a series of sanctions imposed by the United Nations. The move has satisfied International concerns that Iran were intending to produce a nuclear weapon, but the facility’s uranium fuel will fall well below the enrichment level needed for weapons-grade uranium.
An atomic monitoring agency is planning to release a report alleging Iran has been secretly working to develop a nuclear weapons program.
Diplomats, who spoke in the condition of anonymity, said the International Atomic Energy Agency is planning to release the report next week that will reportedly reveal evidence Iran created computerized models of a nuclear warhead, the BBC reported.
The news comes a day after Iranian officials, in a televised public speech, said they had “irrefutable evidence” the US has ties to terrorist groups.
GlobalPost: Iran's US terrorism claim: Tehran to send 'proof' of US-led plots to UN
The report is said to include satellite images of what is suspected of being a large steel container used for tests related to nuclear weapons.
Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Saturday that the allegations are being fabricated in the report and cited the IAEA violated its neutrality by caving in to US pressure.
“We've said time and again that these are forgeries similar to faked notes," Salehi said in a news conference in Tehran."The Americans raised documents like this in the past.”
Iran’s nuclear enrichment program has gained controversy in past years and has led to sanctions backed by the UN Security Council. The IAEA railed the country in 2003 for failing to notify the agency of its enrichment program – which has been suspected of being the catalyst for the Iran to create nuclear arms.
Iran has consistently refused to halt its nuclear enrichment activities despite repeated requests by members of the international community.
In contrast to the international community’s disapproval, 94 percent of Iranians in a 2009 BBC poll supported their country’s nuclear enrichment program. However, half of those questioned agreed that the country should be able to build nuclear weapons.
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