Iran offers N. Korea oil for nukes

Intelligence sources: Iran needs help in developing nuclear missiles.

By JPOST STAFF, AP
ahmadinejad 88 (photo credit: )
ahmadinejad 88
(photo credit: )
The German daily Deir Spiegel, citing western intelligence sources, reported on Saturday that Iran has offered North Korea oil and natural gas in exchange for assistance in developing nuclear missiles. According to the report, brough forth by Army Radio, a senior official from the Iranian government visited Pyongyang, North Korea's capital, in October in order to propose the deal. It was not clear, however, what the North Korean response was to the Iranian offer. Iran's Shihab 3 long-range surface-to-surface missile, capable of reaching Israel and some European countries, is based on North Korean missile technology. Diplomatic sources added that Iran was continuing in its efforts to acquire nuclear capabilities despite international pressure on Iran to cease their pursuit of enriched uranium. The Iranians have maintained that its nuclear aspirations are strictly for "peaceful purposes." Also on Saturday, Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for US President George W. Bush's administration to be tried on war crimes charges related to Iraq and denounced the West for its stance on Iran's nuclear program, state-run Iranian television reported. "They say Iran has to stop its peaceful nuclear activity since there is a probability of diversion while we are sure that they are developing and testing (nuclear weapons) every day," Ahmadinejad said. "They speak as if they are the lords of the world." "Who in the world are you to accuse Iran of suspicious nuclear armed activity?" asked the Iranian president during a nationally televised ceremony marking the 36th anniversary of the establishment of the volunteer Basij paramilitary force.