Nukes 'Politically Retarded', says Ahmadinejad

As the West continues to press Iran on its nuclear program, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the country considers developing nuclear weapons as "politically retarded".

In a press conference on Monday, President Ahmadinejad said that he sees the dossier of the country's nuclear program as a closed case.

"The talks outside the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) will only be about participation in the management of the world and bringing peace to the world," Ahmadinejad said.

The remarks come as the P5+1, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- plus Germany, have requested Iran to re-enter talks over its nuclear program.

Tehran says its program is directed at the civilian applications of the technology. The US and Israel, however, accuse the country of developing nuclear weapons.

President Ahmadinejad reiterated Iranian assertions that the country would never seek weapons of mass destruction -- including nuclear weapons.

"We think those who assume restoring nuclear weapons can have the upper hand in political equations are politically retarded," the president said.

Iran says nuclear weapons are "un-Islamic" and "developing, producing or stockpiling nuclear weapons are forbidden under the rule of Islam."

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