VIENNA, (Reuters) – Iran wants the ability to build nuclear weapons to gain the reputation of a major power in the Middle East, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in a BBC interview broadcast yesterday.
Tehran denied the assertion. But International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei told Iran at an IAEA meeting that it would not be trusted unless “you go the extra mile” and lift restrictions on U.N. inspections.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election last week has cast doubt on Western powers’ hope of a dialogue with Iran aimed at curbing its uranium enrichment programme, which Iran says is for generating electricity only. ElBaradei said the Islamic Republic sees a nuclear breakout ability as an “insurance policy” against perceived threats from neighbouring countries or the United States.
