TEHRAN, June 14 (Mehr News Agency) -- The English-language daily Tehran Times on Saturday commented on the Thursday statements by the the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei in Varamin, a town southeast of Tehran, in which he hailed the efforts of Iranian scientists to increase their knowledge of nuclear technology as a source of national pride.

"The United States is angry about the fact that the Iranian nation has acquired nuclear technology by relying on its own young experts," he was quoted as saying, "Washington is trying to make a brouhaha over Iran's nuclear activities and has even resorted to fabricating baseless allegations against the Islamic Republic simply to hide this anger."

 

According to the Tehran Times, the U.S. and its allies justify their charges against the Islamic Republic by arguing that Iran will never need to use nuclear power to satisfy its energy needs, given the fact that it possesses vast oil and gas reserves.

 

"However, these reserves are not unlimited and will dry up sooner or later," the daily wrote adding, "This has made utilizing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes a priority in all countries."

 

The Times argued that the U.S. itself possesses large reserves of oil and gas, and that there are at least 110 nuclear power plants operating in that country to supply its energy needs.

 

Saying that Iran's nuclear facilities have always been open to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the daily suggested, "Raising repeated allegations to the effect that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons can only be regarded as part of the U.S. animosity toward the Islamic Republic."