Iran has fissile materials for bomb?

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Source: CCTV.com | 03-02-2009 14:25

Over in the US the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- Admiral Mike Mullen -- says he believes Iran may have enough fissile material to make a nuclear bomb.

Technicians prepare to wash the reactor of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, 2007.(AFP/File/Behrouz Mehri)

He made the remark on Sunday during a broadcast interview about a recent U.N. nuclear watchdog report on Iran's uranium enrichment program.

Admiral Mullen added that, in his opinion Iran having nuclear weapons would result in a very bad outcome for the region and for the world.

Under an international nuclear treaty Tehran has signed, Iran has the right to develop a civilian program for the nuclear generation of electricity. But any such program must be open to international inspection. Iran has balked at this.

Especially after it was discovered in past years the country had hidden portions of its nuclear effort that could be linked to a weapons program.

But speaking on another U.S. news program on Sunday U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates appeared to downplay Admiral Mullen's remark, saying Iran is NOT CLOSE to having a nuclear weapon. And that still gives the US and others time to try to persuade Tehran to abandon its suspected atomic arms program.

Robert Gates, U.S. Defense Secretary, said, "So I think there has been a continuing focus on how do you get the Iranians to walk away from a nuclear weapons program? They're not close to a stockpile, they're not close to a weapon at this point and so there is some time."

Editor:Zhang Pengfei