Iran wants a world "free of nuclear weapons", the foreign ministry spokesman said Monday, in Tehran's first reaction to North Korea's announcement of an atomic weapons test. "Iran's position is clear and Iran on principle believes in a world free of nuclear weapons," Mohammad Ali Hosseini was quoted as saying by a state television anchor.
"Iran is hopeful that negotiations on North Korea's nuclear activities can go ahead in the interest of both North Korea and the international community," he added. Iran has always denied US allegations it is seeking nuclear weapons, saying the pursuit of such arms goes against Islam.
Meanwhile, North Korea faced a barrage of global condemnation and calls for harsh sanctions Monday after its nuclear test. The United States, Japan, China and Britain led a chorus of criticism and urged action by the United Nations Security Council in response to the reported test.
South Korea's geological institute estimated that the force of the explosion was equivalent to 550 tons of TNT. But Russia's defense minister said it was far more powerful, equivalent to 5,000 to 15,000 tons of TNT. According to the AP, the U.S. Geological Survey said it recorded a magnitude-4.2 seismic event in northeastern North Korea.
