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Iranian President: Talks Only Way To Resolve Nuclear Crisis
October 20, 2004
President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami (file photo)
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20 October 2004 -- Iranian President Hojatoleslam Mohammad Khatami has said that talks and negotiations are the only way to resolve Iran's nuclear standoff with the West.
Khatami said in Tehran today that his country is ready to assure the world that Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
Earlier today, reports said Britain, France, and Germany will offer to support Iranian construction of a light-water nuclear reactor as part of a deal aimed at persuading the country to stop its activities to enrich uranium. Nuclear experts say light-water reactors provide little help in the development of atomic weapons.
Enriched uranium can produce fuel for civilian reactors or for nuclear weapons. Iran denies trying to make nuclear bombs.
Meanwhile, Iran has said it has test fired a more accurate version of its Shahab-3 missile, already believed to be capable of hitting Israeli and U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf.
Defence Minister Ali Shamkhani said after a weekly cabinet meeting that the missile fired today has a range of 2,000 kilometers. Previous figures had put the missile's range at between 1,300 and 1,700 kilometres.
(Reuters)
See also: Europeans Reportedly Offer Light-Water Reactor To Iran