Iran official: Americans ‘dreaming’ if they think Iran will give up nuke program

Iran says it won’t give up nuke program despite US

DAMASCUS, Syria — An Iranian official says Americans “must be dreaming” if they think they can intimidate Tehran into giving up its nuclear program.

Ali Akbar Velayati is an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Velayati said Monday during a trip to Syria that American threats will not deter Iran.

The chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said last week the U.S. military has a plan to attack Iran, although he thinks a military strike is probably a bad idea. Still, Adm. Mike Mullen said the risk of Iran developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.

The U.S. and Iran are at odds over the goals of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran says it aims to produce energy, while the U.S. claims Iran wants to produce a nuclear weapon.