Tehran has never sought nuclear weapons at any point in time, Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Mostafa Mohammad-Najjar says.

Addressing the deputy ministers and senior officials of the Defense Ministry in Tehran on Monday, he pointed to the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) published last week conceding that Iran had halted its effort to make nuclear weapons in 2003, he said, "Besides being against Iran's defense doctrine, nuclear weapons are regarded by Iran as a violation of human principles."

Although the delayed US report contained positive points, it also had many contradictions, he said, adding, "Concealing the facts about Iran's peaceful nuclear activities by the US officials cannot be regarded as a blunder because the move amounts to a flagrant lie and a clear act of deceit. Instead of rectifying its policies and adopting a rational stance, the US government is resorting to distortion of facts and making baseless accusations to justify its false and hostile policies."

Mohammad-Najjar stressed that Iran seeks nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, which is no threat to any country but can be at the service of the peaceful aims of other regional nations.

He added that continuation of pressure and sanctions against Iran reveals hostility of the US and its allies toward the progress and independence of the Iranian nation.

He commented, "If Washington abandoned its unilateral and discriminatory attitude toward regional and international issues, the world would not witness violence and bloodshed."

The minister said that the US support for the Zionist regime and its double standards on developments in the Middle East led to the failure of the recent Annapolis meeting.

"Any move that disregards the rights of the oppressed people of Palestine is doomed to failure," he also noted.

He further added that Iran is the main defender of security in the Persian Gulf and noted that US efforts to sow discord between Iran and the regional countries would bear no fruits.

SF/GM/RA