Ahmadinejad: Iran won’t make nukes, but not afraid to

Comment suggests a toughening of stance by Tehran in advance of Moscow talks

8 June 2012, 2:02 pm

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Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, attends a meeting with China's then premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, in Beijing last year (photo credit: AP/Ed Jones)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president says Iran has no intention of building nuclear weapons, but fear would not deter it if it decided to make them.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s comments suggest a toughening of Iran’s position ahead of June 18-19 talks with world powers over Tehran’s nuclear program.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany want Iran to shut down its highest level uranium enrichment facilities. Ahmadinejad’s remarks suggest Iran would refuse.

Ahmadinejad made the comments during a meeting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday in China. His remarks were posted on his website.

The US and its allies suspect Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes like power generation and cancer treatment.