Washington, January 03: A US Republican presidential candidate has warned that her administration would deploy missiles in the US and the Middle East in order to stop Iran’s nuclear program.
“What we need to do is take a very aggressive posture toward letting Iran know that we mean business, that we don’t want them to seek a nuclear weapon,” Michele Bachmann told CBS on Monday.
The Minnesota lawmaker added that she “will do whatever it takes” to send a “strong signal that the United States is on high alert,” explaining that this would include deploying Patriot missiles, ballistic missiles and other weapon systems in the US and the Middle East.
Candidates in the 2012 US presidential election have taken a tough stance against Iran, threatening Tehran with military strikes and other offensive war rhetoric.
Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said last week that he would bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities if elected president.
The threats come while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has never found any evidence indicating that Iran’s nuclear program has been diverted towards weapons production.
The US and Israel have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the “option” of a military strike, based on the allegation that Iran’s nuclear program may consist of a covert military agenda.
Iran has refuted the allegations, saying that as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the IAEA, it has the right to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
——Agencies