Iran slams UK defense secretary’s “mad” remarks

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told the Guardian on Sunday that the Western sanctions over Iran's nuclear energy program “are necessary to pressure Iran to end its nuclear activities” claiming that Iran's “mad scheme to build a bomb has to be brought to an end.”

“We can definitely make the pain [resulting from sanctions against the Iranian people] much greater,” he added.

    “Are the British government’s measures, which possesses over 200 strategic nuclear warheads…, ranks the third in the world in terms of nuclear weapon tests, and produces 3.2 million cubic meters of nuclear waste ‘mad’, or Iran's peaceful nuclear activities,” the Iranian minister asked.


Vahidi noted that the British defense secretary’s ‘mad’ remarks have disclosed his true intention proving that their allegations against Iran's nuclear energy program are but excuses and they only mean to inflict pain and suffering on the Iranian nation.

The United States, Israel and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.