Putin Joins Anti-Iran Nuclear Chorus

Russian President Vladimir Putin has backed Washington's insistence that Iran must not be allowed to acquire an atom bomb, delivering a blow to Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Presidents Putin and Bush smile during their meeting in the Oval OfficeIn remarks that may help persuade Iran to back down in its confrontation with the West, Mr Putin said Russia — one of Iran's longest-standing diplomatic allies — would "always be against" Tehran acquiring any kind of nuclear weapon. He was speaking at the White House during a visit to the US for the 60th anniversary celebrations of the United Nations. But Iran's newly elected President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, then proceeded to give a defiant speech to the General Assembly on Saturday, proclaimed his country's determination to press ahead with nuclear fuel processing and accused the US of breaching global nuclear treaties. Mr Ahmadinejad also offered other countries a partnership in uranium enrichment and sought to broaden stalled talks with three European Union nations on Tehran's nuclear ambitions to include countries such as South Africa. He said Iran would not accept "nuclear apartheid" that permitted some countries to enrich fuel while blocking others. "We're not going to cave in to the excessive demands of certain powers," Mr Ahmadinejad said when asked if Iran would halt sensitive activities such as uranium ore conversion — a precursor to making enriched fuel. The eagerly awaited speech came before a critical meeting of the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog, starting today in Vienna. Iran's President, Mahmoud AhmadinejadEurope and the US have threatened to refer Iran to the UN Security Council for censure and possible sanctions, unless Mr Ahmadinejad gives sufficient reassurance that controversial aspects of its nuclear research will be scrapped. French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said after Mr Ahmadinejad's speech that the option of reporting Iran to the UN Security Council "remains on the agenda". Russia disagrees with the West's view that Tehran's research program is a cover for covert weapons-building. But confirmation of Moscow's opposition to Iran having any kind of bomb will be welcomed by diplomats.