| Iran declares: we are in the nuclear club: "West surprised by swift and successful enrichment of uranium

Robert Tait in Tehran and Ewen MacAskill
Wednesday April 12, 2006
The Guardian


Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, delivers a speech in Mashhad. Photograph: AP

Iran announced a technological breakthrough yesterday that could lead to the development of a nuclear bomb, in a move that appeared to catch the west off guard.
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's hardline president, trumpeted the development in a speech last night. 'Dear Iran has joined the club of nuclear countries,' he said in the holy city of Mashhad.
Addressing an invited audience of clerics, military figures and dignitaries, Mr Ahmadinejad made an unabashed appeal to national pride: 'The nation, under the umbrella of God's grace and through its own efforts, has reached this big achievement. Today is a big day which will be recorded in Iran's history.'
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Iranian television broadcast pictures of scientists dancing and waving test tubes apparently marked with chemical symbols. Mr Ahmadinejad, who has threatened to wipe Israel off the map, said the nuclear programme was for purely civilian purposes.
The US, Europe and Israel remain sceptical. The speech - carried live on state TV - was punctuated by chants of 'Death to America', 'Death to Israel', and 'Death to counter-revolutionaries'.
Tehran's defiance comes after weeks of increasing pressure from the west, including a report that the White House is contemplating a tactical nuclear strike.
Analysts said Iran had shaved the timescale for production of nuclear weapons and predicted it could join the nuclear club within three to five ye"