US concerned over Iran’s option of preserving nuclear arsenal

September 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - U S Defense Secretary Robert Gates has claimed that Iran has every intention of developing nuclear weapons. In an interview with ABC aired Sunday, Gates added that "the question of whether they have made a formal decision to move towards the development of nuclear weapons is in doubt." "This is part of a pattern of deception and lies on the part of the Iranians from the very beginning with respect to their nuclear program," he said.

September 23rd, 2009 Netanyahu: Iran could give terror nuclear umbrellaNEW YORK — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that if Iran acquires nuclear weapons it could "bring terrorism beyond our wildest dreams." Netanyahu said Wednesday morning in an interview on NBC's "Today" that if the U.N. Security Council doesn't act against Iran's nuclear program, then leading nations could put pressure on Tehran "especially when it comes to imported petroleum products." Netanyahu called Iran "the major terrorist-sponsoring state of our time.

September 22nd, 2009 Iran says it is open to nuclear weapons discussionNEW YORK — Iran's leader is telling The Associated Press that he expects open discussion of nuclear issues at a planned meeting with officials from the U.S. and five other powers.

September 9th, 2009 US very concerned about Iran's nuclear programVIENNA — The United States said Wednesday it has "serious concerns" that Iran is deliberately trying to preserve a nuclear weapons option, urging Tehran to join in fresh talks with key allies about its disputed nuclear intentions. Glyn Davies, Washington's chief envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, also warned that the latest report by the nuclear watchdog shows that Tehran is either very near or already in possession of sufficient low-enriched uranium to produce one nuclear weapon, if the decision were made to further enrich it to weapons-grade.

September 7th, 2009 TEHRAN, Iran — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Iran is ready to hold talks with the world powers over global challenges including its nuclear program. Ahmadinejad said Monday Iran will initially present its package of proposals to the five permanent members of the U.N.

July 26th, 2009 Clinton says Israel should be patient on IranWASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is implicitly urging Israel to give U.S. policy on Iran's nuclear ambitions a chance to work.

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.

July 2nd, 2009 Obama: Iran cannot be permitted to be nuke powerWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama says he is "not reconciled" to the idea of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon within a year. The president told The Associated Press in an interview that U.S.

June 17th, 2009 LONDON - Iran is mastering nuclear technology and believes firmly in having the option of a nuclear weapon, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Mohamed ElBaradei, said in a BBC interview Wednesday. "It is my gut feeling that Iran would like to have the technology to enable it to have nuclear weapons," ElBaradei said.

June 6th, 2009 Correction: Nuclear Agency-Syria-Iran storyVIENNA — In a June 5 story about the International Atomic Energy Agency probe of the nuclear programs of Syria and Iran, The Associated Press erroneously cited the Institute for Science and International Security as saying Iran could make two nuclear weapons within eight months at its present rate of uranium enrichment. ISIS said that within eight months Iran could produce enough material to turn into weapons-grade uranium for two such weapons, not make two.

June 4th, 2009 CAIRO - In a much-anticipated speech to the Muslim world from Cairo Thursday, US President Barack Obama urged Iran and other countries to abandon their nuclear weapons programmes. He acknowledged the US role in "overthrowing a democratically elected government" in Iran.

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.

February 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Iran has yet to convince the international community that it has no intention to build nuclear weapons, the US said Thursday after the release by the UN's nuclear watchdog of a new report on Iran's activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna said Iran had considerably slowed - but not halted - its uranium-enrichment programme and was still not cooperating fully with the agency.

February 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Iran has yet to convince the international community that it has no intention to build nuclear weapons, the US said Thursday after the release by the UN's nuclear watchdog of a new report on Iran's activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna said Iran had considerably slowed - but not halted - its uranium-enrichment programme and was still not cooperating fully with the agency.

February 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Iran has yet to convince the international community that it has no intention to build nuclear weapons, the US said Thursday after the release by the UN's nuclear watchdog of a new report on Iran's activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna said Iran had considerably slowed - but not halted - its uranium-enrichment programme and was still not cooperating fully with the agency.