Ahmadinejad accuses the White House of discrediting the United Nations. He offers Islamic countries technical support for peaceful nuclear development. Government spokesman hopes China might convince the United States to take a more realistic approach.

Tehran (AsiaNews) – In reacting to a report by the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) on Iran’s nuclear programme, an Iranian government spokesman said the study shows the “US government’ confession of its mistakes” regarding Iran's nuclear plans, and in so doing has discredited the United Nations. It now should pay compensation for what it caused.

The NIE report was produced by the National Intelligence Council, synthesising the analyses of the US Intelligence Community made up of 16 intelligence agencies. The report said that Iran stopped its nuclear weapon programme in 2003 as the Iranian government claimed all along, something the White House has rejected so far.

Iranian news agency ISNA said that for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the US and some European powers have discredited the United Nation and the Security Council over Iran's nuclear programme. In his view the smear campaign against Iran's nuclear activities was solely based on political and publicity reasons.

Ahmadinejad added that Iran was ready to help other Islamic states achieve and utilise peaceful nuclear energy under IAEA supervision.

For Iranian government spokesman Gholam Hussein Elham, the NIE report is tantamount to a confession by the US government, but insisted that it was not enough

In discussing a phone conversation between Chinese foreign minister and US secretary of state on Iran's nuclear issue, Elham stated that Iran and China have good relations and that he hoped the latter could convey the truths about Iran to the Americans and convince them to take a realistic approach.

• iran
• united
• states
• united
• nations
• china
• national
• intelligence
• estimate