Tehran on Friday rejected remarks by French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Iran's nuclear weapons program is a threat to the region and global community. "Nuclear weapons have no place in Iran's defense doctrine," said foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghav, Iran's Fars news agency reported. Sarkozy on Thursday asked his Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus for support in opposing Iran's controversial nuclear program. While acknowledging Iran's right to have nuclear power, Sarkozy stressed that Iranian nuclear weapons would be a threat to the region and the whole world. Sarkozy warned Iran on Thursday it was taking a dangerous gamble in seeking to develop atomic weapons because one day Israel could strike to foil its nuclear aspirations.
Western powers accuse Iran of seeking the atom bomb under the cover of a civilian nuclear program but Tehran denies the charge, insisting it only wants to master atomic technology in order to generate electricity. The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action if the dispute cannot be settled through diplomacy.