Iran is not a rogue state, says Australia in WikiLeaks cable
In cables published today, Australia says the US should not see Iran as a rogue state, rather that Australian officials believe that Tehran sees a "grand bargain" with America as its best way to ensure national security.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (L) fired Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Dec.13 and appointed the country's top nuclear official as the caretaker for the key position, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.
Raheb Homavandi/Reuters/Files
Sydney, Australia
Australia is at odds with its major security ally the United States over Iran, saying it is not a "rogue state" and its nuclear weapons programme is for deterrence, not attack, according to U.S. cables released by WikiLeaks.
The documents, published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, also reveal that Australia's top security organisation believes Tehran sees a "grand bargain" with the United States as its best way to ensure national security.
But the Office of National Assessments (ONA) shared Washington's fears that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons could lead to conventional or nuclear war, noting a conflict between Israel and Iran was the greatest challenge to Middle East stability.
