SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2005
America hallucinating: Iran
REUTERS
TEHRAN: Washington is 'hallucinating' if it thinks Iran will scrap its nuclear fuel production plans in return for economic incentives, a senior Iranian official was quoted as saying on Sunday.
The US offered the encouragements in support of the European Union, which is negotiating with Tehran to try to persuade it to give up sensitive nuclear activities.
"US officials are either unaware of the substance of the talks or (they are) hallucinating," Sirus Naseri, a senior member of Iran's nuclear negotiating team, told the official IRNA news agency.
Iran says it needs atomic technology to generate electricity and will never use it to make bombs, as the US fears.
London's Sunday Times said Israel had drawn up plans for a combined air and ground attack on Iranian nuclear installations if diplomacy fails to halt Tehran's atomic programme.
It said Israeli PM Ariel Sharon's inner Cabinet had given 'initial authorisation' for a unilateral attack.
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