"West even fears unarmed Iran" (PressTV-Iran)

I don't think anyone serious doubts that Iran is working on nuclear weapons anymore. And no, Juan Cole does not count as serious. So here is the latest wrinkle in the endless parade of Iranian denials of the obvious:

Tehran's interim Friday Prayers leader says Islam has empowered Iran in such a way that even if the country had no weapons, the West would still fear it.

“It was Islam that gave Iran national glory, authority and helped the country achieve independence,” Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani said.

The senior Iranian cleric further said Western sanctions against the Islamic Republic over its nuclear energy program have proven to be an opportunity for Iran and pave the way for its progress.

The West, led by the United States, has imposed sanctions against Iran, accusing Tehran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran has repeatedly dismissed the Western allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has every right to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

The IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities, but has never found any evidence indicating that Tehran's nuclear energy program has been diverted towards nuclear weapons production.

Speaking of the IAEA, Iran evidently recently destroyed some buildings that it was not allowing the IAEA to inspect.