Expert says Iran's nuclear program poses no threat

There is no basis for saying that Russia assesses Iran's nuclear program as a threat, international expert on Russia and the Central Asia Hassan Beheshtipour told Trend.

The expert was commenting on the recent statements made by Chief of Russia's General Staff Gen. Nikolai Makarov about Iran's nuclear program posing a threat to the world.

Makarov not long ago said that Russia's military considers any nuclear threat possible, speaking on RT's Spotlight program. Asked whether Moscow admits there is a growing atomic threat from Iran and North Korea, the General said that "The threat is always there."

"Such statements are only intended for Americans and Russians. Iran does not assess such accusations as serious," Hassan Beheshtipour said.

Russia has been calling for a "step-by-step" resolution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which Western nations fear is aimed at developing nuclear weapons and Tehran says is purely peaceful.

Moscow says Iran should take measures to ease concerns about its intentions and comply with U.N. demands, and in return be rewarded with the gradual easing of sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council and Western states.

Iran and Western nations had shown interest in a Russian proposal aimed to help defuse the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program.

In a proposal Russia said that as a start, Iran could freeze the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment at current levels and place other restrictions on its centrifuge use. In return, global powers would refrain from imposing new sanctions on Tehran.


/Trend/