U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry: Iran's Past Nuclear Activity Is Not As Important As Preventing An Iranian Bomb Today

United States Secretary of State John Kerry (L) meets with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, at the United Nations in New York, September 26, 2015. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith

Reuters: Preventing Iran bomb more important than past nuclear activity: Kerry

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday that preventing Iran developing a nuclear weapon in future was more important now than "ambiguities" about its past military efforts.

Kerry said it would be premature to comment on a leaked report by the U.N. atomic watchdog that strongly suggested Tehran had a nuclear weapons program for years until 2003, since deliberations were not completed.

But he told a news conference on a visit to Greece: "Nobody has had any doubts whatsoever about Iran's past military endeavors. From the get-go, we have consistently said we know that Iran was pursuing a nuclear project."

What really mattered now, Kerry said, was "making certain that none of whatever happened in the past can happen going forward into the future".

Update #1: Kerry Says US Had No Doubt About Iran's Past Nuke Work -- AP
Update #2: Kerry: U.S. Had No Doubt About Past Iranian Nuke Work -- RFE

WNU Editor: I have a problem with John Kerry's statement. Mind you .... I use it all the time .... "I do not care what a person did in the past, it is the present and future that counts". But I do not know if this is the right approach towards nuclear weapons .... especially when it comes to Iran and its long history of avoiding and/or obfuscating this issue.