In an interview to the leading French newspaper, Le Monde, Russian Prime Minister Vladmir Putin maintained that Tehran was not trying to acquire nuclear weapons but noted that it should avoid “irritating” its neighbours. Putin noted that at a legal level, Iran had not infringed on any law at the present moment and added that the country had “the same right to enrichment (of uranium)1.”

The IAEA Board of Governors meanwhile met for a week beginning from June 2. The Board discussed the latest report by the IAEA Director-General Dr. ElBaradei, which had expressed "serious concern" that Iran was hiding information about alleged weaponisation work, as well as of defying UN demands to suspend uranium enrichment2.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her part, speaking before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), accused Tehran of pursuing a nuclear weapons programme and called any dialogue with its leaders pointless until they suspend the enrichment of uranium3.

• 1. “Iran not seeking to build nuclear weapons: Putin,” AFP, June 1, 2008, at http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jpNVgMAEbfdZGq5yXZwvWNdEHOZg
• 2. “IAEA meets to discuss Iran's alleged nuclear weapons work,” AFP, June 1, 2008, at http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jDX7WqHBCKf4JrBmHq5QznT96kZw
• 3. Helene Cooper and Isabel Kershner, “Rice Calls Dialogue With Iran Pointless,” The New York Times, June 4, 2008, at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/washington/04diplo.html?partner=rssnyt...