Russia Alarmed By CIA View Of Iran’s Weapons
Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon Panetta told ABC’s “This Week” television program that the agency thinks Iran has enough low-enriched uranium now for two weapons, but that Tehran would have to further enrich the material first.
“As to this information — it needs to be checked,” Medvedev told reporters in Toronto, where he was attending the Group of 20 summit of rich and emerging nations.
Tehran : CIA Waging Anti-Iran Psychological Warfare
Iran on Monday accused the US Central Intelligence Agency of waging psychological warfare against it through “fake reports,” saying the CIA knows Tehran’s nuclear programme has no military aims.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast dismissed CIA director Leon Panetta’s comments that Iran could have nuclear weapons ready to use by as early as 2012.
“Such remarks fall within the framework of psychological warfare aimed at creating a negative perception about Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities,” Mehmanparast told state news agency IRNA.
“The American officials, especially their intelligence apparatus, know that Iran’s nuclear programme is in no way a military one but is aimed at peaceful purposes,” he said.
“Those who bring up such fake reports seek to deflect world public opinion from the main concern… the nuclear arsenals of several countries and a certain regime,” he said in apparent reference to Israel.
Italian PM: Israel ‘will probably react preemptively’ on Iran
Has the leader of Italy’s government revealed how the global community plans to handle Iran?
That’s entirely possible, according to a report from Israel which cites Silvio Berlusconi as telling reporters at the G8 summit in Toronto, “Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power, [so] the members of the G8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively.”
He added that the G8 nations “absolutely believe” Israel will attack Iran, according to Haaretz.
The claim comes on the same day that the top spy in the United States accused Iran of having nuclear material for two bombs, provided the uranium is further enriched to weapons grade. The process, the CIA said, would likely take at least a couple years.
Even Russia, which has traditionally been an ally of Iran’s civilian nuclear power program, joined the U.S. in condemning the alleged nuclear weapons ambitions. It is exceptionally rare that the Kremlin publicly comments on a CIA statement.