“Russia cooperates with Iran in this area strictly within the framework of peaceful programs conducted under the jurisdiction of the IAEA," Ivanov

MOSCOW (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Russia rejected the U.S. objections over its nuclear cooperation with Iran, as Tehran denied Washington’s charges it had secret nuclear facilities or harbored members of the "fanatic" al Qaeda network on Wednesday, May 28.

"We have already discussed the fact that there can be no objections, both with U.S. representatives and those of other countries who expressed their concern on this matter," Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov was quoted as saying in response to a question on the project.

Ivanov said Moscow, which is building Iran's first nuclear power station in Bushehr, was working under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“Russia cooperates with Iran in this area strictly within the framework of peaceful programs conducted under the jurisdiction of the IAEA," he said.

Tehran has repeatedly denied allegations from Washington that it is trying to develop nuclear weapons.

On Tuesday, May 27, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the U.S. believes Iran had done too little to cut ties to such groups, and to forsake nuclear weapons programs, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

Washington, which has branded Iran together with Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil" of rogue nations, claims that Tehran developed nuclear power stations as a mask for a weapons program and giving refuge to terrorists.

But Iran dismissed the accusations as unverified and only part of the U.S. double standards.

Iran had nothing to do with the "fanatic and perverted beliefs" of al Qaeda and that any doubts about Iran's nuclear program should be cleared up by the IAEA, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said.

A team of the U.N. nuclear watchdog’s inspectors have carried out several inspections in Iran ahead of a report expected to be issued in June on nuclear activities in the country, officials said here Wednesday.

"We are in an inspection process, "We have taken swipe samples and we are in the process of doing the analysis right now,” IAEA spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

Washington has also said it wants the IAEA to declare Iran in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty when it reports on the June 16 report.

Unverified

"The main goal of America in stepping up pressure on Iran is to make the people and government give in to its superpower will," Khamenei

Kharrazi warned that “resorting to force, or directing unverified accusations... will only undermine the current international arrangements".

The U.S. officials had also said that Iran harbored al-Qaeda members who carried out the bombing attacks on western targets in Riyadh that left 39 people dead, including eight Americans. Tehran denied the accusations.

Iran said it has arrested and deported around 500 al Qaeda members in the past year and is currently interrogating a "handful" of other suspects.

"There are some in custody. I am not in a position to say who they are. We have to clarify their identity," Asefi said, adding that Iran was in "close contact with friendly countries" over the detainees, including Saudi Arabia, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said.

Iran was "the first victim of Al-Qaeda, and we have been fighting them from the very beginning," said Asefi.

He turned the table on the United States, dismissing Washington’s position as evidence of "double standards".

"It is the U.S. which is not really serious in fighting terrorism."      

‘Superpower Will’

Meanwhile, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei said the U.S. psychological campaign was already underway, accusing Washington of using its "media empire to spread the virus of fear and anxiety".

It "will not be satisfied until Iran's officials and people cast aside their values," state radio quoted Khamenei as saying in a speech.

The supreme leader, who has the last word on all matters of state, said Washington was trying to force Iran to turn its back on Islamic government.

"The main goal of America in stepping up pressure on Iran is to make the people and government give in to its superpower will," he said.

Senior U.S. policymakers are due to hold a meeting on Iran on Thursday, May 29, with the Pentagon reportedly pushing for a tougher line including actions to destabilize its clerical rulers.