U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Tuesday that Iran may trigger a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if it obtains a nuclear weapon.
The secretary told an audience in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia that evidence does not support Iran's claim that its nuclear program is being developed for peaceful purposes only.
Clinton made the remarks during a speech at an all women's college called Dar al-Hekma.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad responded in Tehran Tuesday by saying he does not take Clinton's comments seriously.
Iran's foreign minister reacted Tuesday to Clinton's earlier claim that Iran is becoming a military dictatorship.
Minister Manouchehr Mottaki accused Clinton of trying to manipulate public opinion of Iran with "unreal and incorrect issues."
Mottaki accused the United States of being like a military dictatorship through its actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The United States believes Iran's nuclear program poses a security threat, and Washington is leading efforts to impose additional U.N. sanctions against Tehran.
Clinton said new sanctions should target Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
