“The message of the Iranian nation and government to the world is peace and friendship,” Hosseinpour addressed Iranians in Ankara on Tuesday night.
“Unfortunately Western powers are trying to introduce Iranians as second-hand citizens and prevent [them] from using nuclear energy under the pretext of [preventing] nuclear weapon production,” he added.
The Iranian envoy reiterated Tehran’s position on the production and use of nuclear weapons, saying the Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has prohibited building nuclear arms as “Haram.”
The US and Israel have been escalating their war rhetoric against Iran in recent months, claiming that Iran is seeking to acquire military nuclear capability.
On March 18, The New York Times published a report quoting a former top US intelligence official as saying that Washington and Tel Aviv have reached a consensus over the peaceful nature of Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
In late February, The Los Angeles Times reported that 16 US intelligence agencies agree Tehran is not seeking to build nuclear weapons.
The “highly classified” intelligence assessment was reportedly circulated among US policymakers early last year.
Iran refutes accusations, saying that as a member of International Atomic Energy Agency and signatory to Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has every right to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
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Iranian Ambassador to Turkey Bahman Hosseinpour has accused the West of attempting to spread Iranophobia, describing Iranians as a peace-seeking nation.
News ID 181619
