Nukes violate Islamic tenets? Iranian reactor
Photo: AP
Iran: Islam opposes nukes
Development of nuclear weapons contradicts Iran's religious beliefs, foreign minister says
The development or use of nuclear weapons contradicts Iran's religious principles and would violate the tenets of Islam, the country's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said Friday.
"Islamic Republic authorities have reiterated that nuclear arms are against the country's religious principals," he said. "We have been committed to the NPT and believe that the proliferation of a nuclear bomb is against the tenets of Islam."
In an interview with the Euronews channel in Germany, the minister dismissed Western claims that Tehran was working to acquire nukes.
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Salehi also claimed that Iran maintains a positive relationship with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which he said closely monitors Iran's nuclear program.
"We have very good relations with the IAEA which has been explicitly stated in agency's recent report. IAEA inspectors do their job regularly and their cameras are working non-stop," he said.
Last month, Iran informed the IAEA that it is facing problems in operating its nuclear facility in Bushehr, which was supposed to start providing electricity this month, the New York Times reported. The nature of the problem faced by Tehran is unclear.
At the end of 2010, Iranian officials admitted that a computer warm known as Stuxnet harmed Bushehr's computerized systems and damaged some centrifuges. At the time, Iran said it was able to overcome the problem.
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