Chavez: No proof of Iran nuclear bomb

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Saturday here there is no proof that Iran is building a nuclear bomb, Iran's English-language Press TV reported.

"There is no single proof that Iran is building a nuclear bomb," Chavez was quoted as saying after arriving in Tehran early Saturday.

"We are certain that Iran, as it has shown, will not back down in its effort to obtain what is a sovereign right of the people -- to have all the equipment and structures to use atomic energy for peaceful purposes," Chavez said.

He also said Venezuela aims to build "a nuclear village" with Iran's assistance.

U.S. President Barack Obama has set a late September deadline for Tehran to initiate multilateral talks over its disputed nuclear issue, or face further sanctions.

Washington has been trying to beef up its sanctions on Tehran for Iran's involvement in anti-U.S. activities and allegedly secret development of nuclear weapons.

Iran denied these charges and insisted its nuclear program is for generating electricity only.

According to Iran's official IRNA news agency, Chavez, who is accompanied by a high-ranking delegation, was received at airport by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and Industry and Mines Minister Ali-Akbar Mehrabian.

Chavez is on his seventh official visit to Iran and will meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad later Saturday.

Chavez has visited Libya, Algeria and Syria and is also scheduled to go to Belarus, Russia, Turkmenistan and Spain, Press TV said.