Ahmadinejad: US Nuclear Assessment is Victory for Iran

Speaking in western Ilam province Wednesday, Mr. Ahmadinejad also said Iran will not retreat "one step" in its pursuit of peaceful nuclear technology.

The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate released this week says Iran stopped a secret nuclear weapons program four years ago - contradicting the Bush administration's charge that Iran was actively seeking nuclear weapons..

President Bush said Tuesday that he views the new assessment as a "warning signal" that Iran could restart its weapons program. He said the U.S. will continue efforts to rally the international community to push Iran to stop enriching uranium - a key process to develop fuel for nuclear weapons.

Commenting on the latest U.S. assessment, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia has seen no evidence that Iran ever had a nuclear weapons program.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says the new U.S. assessment validates agency statements that inspectors have found no secret nuclear program in Iran, and that there is no imminent danger, leaving time for negotiations.

The U.S. intelligence estimate says Iran would likely be capable of producing enough enriched uranium for a nuclear weapon between 2010 and 2015.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters, AP and AFP - Source By VOA NEWS