Iranians intend to develop nuclear weapons, says Gates

October 5th, 2009 Cabinet secretaries: Iran talks a limited successWASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton say last week's historic joint talks with Iran were a limited success. Clinton says the session in Geneva yielded three agreements that buy time for the U.S.

September 30th, 2009 Gates: Secret nuke site puts Iran in 'bad spot'WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the disclosure of Iran's secret uranium-enriching facility could force more economic penalties against a country reeling from serious social and political divisions. He played down the effectiveness of military strikes against the site, arguing that pressuring Tehran economically and diplomatically would have a better chance of changing the Tehran government's policies.

September 20th, 2009 TEHRAN - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Sunday rejected the West's charge that his country wants to develop nuclear bombs, saying Tehran is "fundamentally" opposed to such weapons. "Accusing the Islamic Republic of seeking nuclear arms is a blatant lie.

September 12th, 2009 TEHRAN - Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said Saturday that Iran has no plans to develop nuclear weapons, the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) reported. "We regard production of weapons of mass destruction as contrary to our religious, human and national principles," Vahidi was quoted as saying.

July 29th, 2009 NICOSIA - The new head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran Ali-Akbar Salehi was quoted as saying that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would be operational by the end of next September. MP Alireza Salimi said that Salimi told a Majlis (Parliament) committee on Sunday that the controversial nuclear power plant will be operational in two months.

July 27th, 2009 Israel's Barak: 'No option' off table on IranJERUSALEM — Israel's defense minister told visiting U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday that his country is taking "no option" off the table regarding Iran's nuclear program, indicating that a military strike remains a possibility even as the U.S.

July 15th, 2009 Gadhafi says Iran nuclear program to be supportedSHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi says Iran should be encouraged to pursue its nuclear program as long as it is for peaceful purposes. Gadhafi was addressing Wednesday's opening session of a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement at the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheik.

June 3rd, 2009 Israel not going to bomb Iran: FMMOSCOW — Israel does not intend to bomb Iran, Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday in the most explicit comments on the matter by a top minister of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to date. Speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Russia, Avigdor Lieberman also said that other countries in the Middle East and around the world should be concerned about Iran's nuclear program.

June 3rd, 2009 FM says Israel does not intend to bomb IranMOSCOW — Israel's foreign minister says his country does not intend to bomb Iran. Avigdor Lieberman is also telling reporters that other countries in the region and around the world should be concerned about Iran's nuclear program.

June 3rd, 2009 Foreign Minister: Israel not going to bomb IranMOSCOW — Israel does not intend to bomb Iran, Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday in the most explicit comments on the matter by a top minister of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to date. Speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Russia, Avigdor Lieberman also said that other countries in the Middle East and around the world should be concerned about Iran's nuclear program.

May 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Stating that Pakistan's nuclear weapon is a "deterrent" against India, the country's top diplomat to the US Saturday expressed willingness to enter into an agreement with New Delhi to phase out all nuclear arms possessed by the two countries. Appearing on US television to make a public appeal to donate aid for the displaced people in the Swat valley, Pakistan's ambassador to the US Hussein Haqqani insisted that the nuclear weapons of his country are safe and there should be no concern about their security.

May 1st, 2009 Officials say Iran sanctions make more senseWASHINGTON — Using U.S. military might to coerce Iran to halt its nuclear program would yield only temporary results, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, adding that sanctions make more sense.

April 30th, 2009 Officials downplay military options against IranWASHINGTON — Using U.S. military might to coerce Iran to halt its nuclear program would yield only temporary results, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday, adding that sanctions make more sense.

April 30th, 2009 Officials downplay military options vs IranWASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the military option for forcing Iran to halt its nuclear program would be just temporary and ineffective and that sanctions make more sense. Gates told Senate appropriators Thursday that a military attack on Iran would merely send that country's nuclear program further underground.

March 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Iran is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons, the US director of national intelligence said Tuesday. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dennis Blair said: 'Although we do not know whether Iran currently intends to develop nuclear weapons, we assess Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop them.' 'Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon' because it lacks weapons-grade highly enriched uranium, but it could obtain enough as early as 2010, Blair said.