Iran accuses United States of 'nuclear blackmail'

(WARNING): Article contains propaganda!

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New York - Iran has accused the United States of nuclear blackmail in a letter sent to the United Nations.

Washington's new nuclear doctrine explicitly envisages using nuclear weapons against states that do not possess these weapons, a letter from Mohammad Khazaee, Iran's ambassador to the UN, said on Tuesday.

Khazaee said in the letter that the statements were "tantamount to nuclear blackmail against a non-nuclear-weapons state."

The letter was sent to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council and General Assembly.

In its new nuclear doctrine revealed a week ago the US committed itself for the first time not to use atomic weapons against countries that adhere to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

But the new pledge leaves open the possibility of a nuclear strike against countries that have signed on to the treaty but stand accused of violating its terms.

US President Barack Obama, in an interview with the New York Times, explained that the loophole would apply to "outliers like Iran and North Korea" that the US believes are developing nuclear weapons.

Khazaee said that the new atomic strategy of the US was "a real threat to international peace."

US politicians had described the new policy as a strong message to Iran.

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Russia, China, Britain, France and the US - plus Germany are discussing in New York how to get Iran to come clean about its allegedly peaceful nuclear program and the West is pushing for harsher sanctions.

Iran, which kept its program secret from international inspectors for almost two decades, maintains that its nuclear ambitions are solely geared toward peaceful purposes.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/318604,iran-accuses-united-states-of-nuclear-blackmail.html.