Iran Defends Nuke Program in Letter to the World

Iran has written a letter to world diplomats insisting that the nation's nuclear program is not a threat. "I would like to emphasize that Iran's nuclear program is completely peaceful," the foreign minister writes, adding that Iran has worked with the IAEA "even beyond its legal commitments." The state news agency said the letter went to foreign ministers but not whether the US was included.

Although  the IAEA commended Iran last week for working towards greater openness, the agency says the country has stepped up uranium enrichment and still has many questions to answer, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, the letter included harsh words about UN sanctions: "It is questionable, indeed, why some specific countries are insisting to follow up the case through illegal and unlawful means." (More Iran stories.)