Iran's president declared victory over the United States yesterday after a US intelligence report contradicting the Bush administration's charges that Teheran was actively seeking a nuclear weapon.
The report appeared likely to increase resistance from Russia and China to US demands for further United Nations sanctions against Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said its findings would be a factor in deciding on sanctions.
China's UN Ambassador Wang Guangya told reporters on Tuesday: "I think the council members will have to consider that, because I think we all start from the presumption that now things have changed."
Russia said the report should be taken into account when considering fresh sanctions. "We will assess the situation on proposals for a new resolution in the United Nations Security Council on the basis of (several) factors, including the publication by the US of data showing that Iran does not have a military nuclear program," Foreign Minister Lavrov said.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran would press ahead with its disputed nuclear program, which the Islamic Republic says has only peaceful civilian aims.
"Today, the Iranian nation is victorious but you (the United States) are empty-handed," Ahmadinejad said in a televized speech to a rally in the western Iranian city of Ilam.
In response to the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) which said Iran halted a nuclear weapons programme in 2003, US President George W. Bush said on Tuesday Iran remained a danger because it was mastering technology with a military use.
The NIE report said Iran was continuing to develop the technical means that could be applied to producing weapons.
Bush's comments were echoed yesterday by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
"It is the very strong view of the administration, that the Iranian regime remains problematic, a dangerous regime," Rice said during a visit to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
Bush again refused to rule out military action if diplomatic efforts failed to resolve the dispute and Washington said it would continue pressing for a third round of UN sanctions unless Iran halts uranium enrichment.
Source: China Daily/Agencies
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