Ahmadinejad calls Obama “inexperienced amateur”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has issued a strong personal attack against US President Barack Obama, calling him a “cowboy” who was quick to threaten to use nuclear weapons against America’s enemies. Commenting on new US policy restrictions on the use of nuclear weapons which deliberately excluded Iran, Ahmadinejad said Iran would not yield to threats.

"Obama made these latest remarks because he is inexperienced and an amateur politician," the hard-line Iranian leader said on state television. "American politicians are like cowboys. Whenever they have legal shortcomings, their hands go to their guns."

Obama made a diplomatic overture to Tehran soon after taking office in 2009, urging it to "unclench its fist." However, since then a confrontation has intensified over Iran's nuclear program. Obama last week also said new UN sanctions against Iran should be adopted “within weeks.”

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that China would join talks with the United States, Britain, Russia, France and Germany in New York on Thursday to discuss possible sanctions against Iran, but he indicated this was not necessarily a sign that China was dropping its resistance to sanctions. "Negotiations will be long, will they be over by the end of April? I hope so," Kouchner said.

Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi has again warned Israel not to launch a military attack. "If they attack Iran, possibly no trace will be left from the Zionist regime," Vahidi was quoted as saying by ‘Mehr’ news agency.