US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said today, Iran has been a central banker of terrorism and hence it needs to heed the international community's calls for it to suspend its nuclear program, to which NIA objected.

Condoleezza was speaking in a media conference in Sydney after meeting her Australian counterpart Alexander Downer for talks covering topics on recent nuclear deal between Washington and India, Iraq, Iran's nuclear ambitions, Indonesia's development among others. 

Dr Rice told she was sure the United Nations Security Council would find a way to express global concerns about the potential for Iran to develop nuclear weapons

"Iran is a challenge because it is seeking to have a nuclear program that would allow it to develop a nuclear weapon and it's doing that, we believe, under cover of the NPT (nuclear non-proliferation treaty)," Dr Rice said.

Dr. Raj Baldev, Chairman, National Integration Assembly (NIA), World Peace Mission Body based in New Delhi, said, "Dr. Condoleezza is of course serious in sorting out the controversy of Iran's nuclear weapons since the matter is very important from  the point of world peace.

Dr. Baldev said, "The stand taken by Iran should be flexible since US has also adopted some soft options for her. Iran should, therefore, review its own stand and oblige the world rather than living aloof."

Dr. Raj Baldev objected to Dr. Condoleezza's words "And it's lied about its activities and therefore is in contradiction to its requirements or its obligations under the NPT. "It also, of course, is involved as a central banker of terrorism and so ... we have many reasons to be concerned about Iran."

Dr. Raj Baldev strongly objected to Dr. Condoleezza's language to the effect that Iran has been central banker of terrorism. "Such attitude and strong and negative words aggravate the situation rather than solving the problem.. She looks to be damaging the US cause of world peace rather than helping her country," he said.