Iran's nuclear program poses no threat to neighbors: speaker

TEHRAN, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani said the country's nuclear activities are not a threat to its neighboring states, the state IRIB TV reported Thursday.

Iranian parliament speaker Ali Larijani smiles during a news conference at the old Iranian Parliament building in Tehran November 30, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

"Iran's peaceful nuclear program is by no means a threat to our neighbors," Larijani said in a meeting with his visiting Bahraini counterpart Khalifa al-Dhahrani on Wednesday.

"Iran's defense capabilities are solely for defensive purposes," Larijani was quoted as saying.

Iran's parliament supports all-out promotion of bilateral cooperation with Bahrain, he added.

For his part, al-Dhahrani described Iran's nuclear program as "peaceful."

"Iran's nuclear activities are not unpeaceful," al-Dhahrani was quoted as saying.