A political analyst says the US and Israel use Tehran™s nuclear issue as a pretext to pressure Iran, as they are worried about the emergence of a œtechnologically independent” country in the Middle East, Press TV<\/b> reports.\n<\/p>\n
In a Tuesday interview with Press TV, Mark Glenn, with the Crescent and Cross Solidarity Movement, said Iran™s nuclear issue serves as œan excuse” for Washington and the Tel Aviv regime to keep the illegal sanctions against the Islamic Republic.\n<\/p>\n
The analyst stated, œThe West and particularly Israel … cannot afford to have a country such as Iran – a Middle Eastern country, an Islamic country – being technologically independent of the West meaning that it can produce its own industrialized goods.”\n<\/p>\n
What the US and Israel œare concerned about is that Iran is going to become a supplier of finished goods for the countries in the Middle East,” said Glenn, adding that they want to make sure that œIran cannot compete with the West in terms of industrialized finished goods that can be used to supply the Middle East [countries] with the things that they need.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He also described the pace of Iran™s progress as œamazing,” saying, œI think it™s what keeps people such as [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu awake at night.”<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei reiterated Iran™s opposition to the possession of nuclear weapons based on beliefs of the Iranian nation, saying a few countries do not want their monopoly on the nuclear energy to be challenged, but they do not make their real intention public.\n<\/p>\n
The US, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program, with the US and European Union using the claim as an excuse to impose illegal sanctions against Tehran.\n<\/p>\n
Iran has categorically rejected the allegation, stressing that as a committed member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) it is entitled to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.\n<\/p>\n
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