West slammed for misuse of Iran nuclear drive

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki slammed Western powers on Saturday for taking advantage of Iran’s nuclear program to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

“Western countries know that Iran does not seek to produce nuclear weapons,” Mottaki said in a meeting with Malaysia’s new ambassador to Tehran, Mohamad Sadik Kethergany. “However, they intend to use it as a pretext for interfering in the internal affairs.”

Mottaki praised growing ties between Tehran and Kuala Lumpur and said the two sides have the potential to improve economic and cultural cooperation.

The United States and Israel accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear pursuit.

After imposing rounds of unilateral sanctions against Iran, the US rallied its European allies — Britain, France and Germany — to coerce the UN Security Council to pressure Tehran into abandoning its program.

Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is entitled to pursue nuclear technology for civilian purposes.

Malaysia supports Iran’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.