US questions Iran's claim

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said yesterday the "evidence doesn't support" Iran's claim it has peaceful nuclear aims as she defended a US push for sanctions against Tehran.

Clinton gave the remarks when a student at a Saudi women's college asked why Washington was taking a tough line on Iran when Israel allegedly has nuclear arms and the United States is the only country to have used them in war.

"Iran is the largest supporter of terrorism in the world today," she said at Dar Al Hekma women's college in Jeddah. "And the questions keep building. They say they are only doing this for nuclear peaceful purposes, but the evidence doesn't support that," said Clinton.

Clinton did not mention Israel, which is widely considered the Middle East's sole if undeclared nuclear power, but said agreements have been reached over decades to avert the threat of nuclear war, like the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

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