THE TELEGRAPH: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran has warned he could scupper American policy across the Middle East if the Washington continues to confront his government over its nuclear ambitions.
Mr Ahmadinejad used a television interview on Tuesday night to draw a direct link between pressure on Iran's nuclear programme and its support for "resistance" - a codeword for Islamic militant groups such as Hizbollah and Hamas, and anti-American Shia forces in Iraq.
"They (the US) have security problems in the world and their influence in Iraq and Afghanistan is vanishing," he said. "They see that waves of hope, justice-seeking and resistance are rising all over the world inspired by Iran. They want to dominate the world, but Iran doesn't let them."
Mr Ahmadinejad's interview with state media was his first personal response to President Barack Obama's nuclear summit in Washington earlier this week. Iran has already issued a formal complaint to the United Nations over Mr Obama's assertion that his promise not to use nuclear weapons on non-nuclear states did not apply to Iran.
Mr Ahmadinejad said that Iran's nuclear programme was past the point of no return.
"We have progressed in nuclear technology so much that we are at an irreversible point," he said. "The US has two options. Either to continue this wrong policy, or to cooperate with Iran."
He added the real issue was not Iran's nuclear programme but its ability to stand in the way of American policy in the Middle East.
As well as being the main financial and military backer of Hamas and Hizbollah, Iran has strong links to anti-American Shia groups in Iraq, and has also been accused of supplying the Taliban in Afghanistan with weapons.
It has been attempting to put together a pro-Iran coalition in Iraq since elections last month which produced no clear winner. Even Ayad Allawi, the pro-American leader of the biggest single group in the election has sent a delegation to Tehran for talks.
"US policies in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan have come to a dead end," Mr Ahmadinejad said in the interview. "Obama has only one way to remain in power and be successful. This way is Iran." >>> Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent | Wednesday, April 14, 2010
