Era of nuclear weapons is over: Ahmadinejad
Tehran Times Political Desk

TEHRAN - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated on Monday that the era of nuclear weapons is over and countries which are still stockpiling nuclear weapons are insane.

“We believe that those who stockpile nuclear weapons are insane… because atom bombs cannot be used and their era is over,” the Iranian President said at a press conference held in Istanbul on the sidelines of the 25th Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

If nuclear weapons were of any use, the Zionist regime would have been able to defeat the defenseless and oppressed people of the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, he noted.

Ahmadinejad said governments that use their people’s tax money to build nuclear weapons instead of spending it on the people’s well-being must definitely change.

Commenting on Iran-Turkey relations, he said Tehran and Ankara enjoy amicable and brotherly ties.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran fully trusts Turkey, and we cooperate in various regional and international arenas,” he added.

Asked about Iran’s nuclear talks with the West, he said Iran will not negotiate over its nuclear rights in the talks.

The nuclear fuel talks between Iran, Russia, the United States, and France in Vienna concluded on October 21 without a final agreement, but International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Mohamed ElBaradei presented a proposal for the four countries to study.

Under the draft deal, a large consignment of Iran’s enriched uranium would be shipped out of the country for processing into fuel rods with a purity of 20 percent, which would be used by a research reactor in Tehran that manufactures medical radioisotopes.

On October 23, diplomats from Russia, France, and the United States submitted their formal approvals of the deal to process Iran’s nuclear fuel abroad.

But Iran has said it wants to hold further talks with the countries in order to make amendments to the deal before approving it.

Ahmadinejad said Iran is currently producing nuclear fuel for its nuclear power plants and is also expanding its uranium enrichment facilities because at least 5000 centrifuges are needed to produce nuclear fuel for one power plant.

Commenting on rumors that certain people shipped $18.5 billion in gold and cash from Iran to Turkey in a container, he said transiting such a consignment of gold and cash would require at least 20 trucks and added that media outlets should carefully study the facts before issuing news reports.

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