Rice: Arab nations want meetings on Iran's nuclear program

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Arab nations concerned about Iran's nuclear program want to meet regularly with the six international powers trying to ensure that it remains peaceful, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Tuesday. Rice spoke to reporters after a closed door meeting between the six countries - the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany _ and representatives from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. "All there expressed their concern about Iran's nuclear policies and its regional ambitions," Rice told reporters. Iran has refused to suspend uranium enrichment despite three rounds of UN sanctions, insisting it has a right to carry out enrichment to provide nuclear energy under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The US and key European nations believe that Iran's ultimate goal is to produce nuclear weapons - which Teheran vehemently denies.