McCain talks tough on foreign policy, brandishing a style that appeals to hardcore Beltway neoconservative supporters of Israel and Republican military hawks. He depicts himself as someone committed to keeping troops in Iraq and taking a tough line on Iran.

But as Los Angeles Times’ diplomatic correspondent Paul Richter points out in an incisive page-one Sunday analysis, McCain’s foreign policy track record is far different than his meat-and-potatoes rhetoric:

McCain has on many occasions resisted calls for use of U.S. troops. Even now, he adopts positions that are closer to those of traditional, pragmatic Republicans than the more hawkish neoconservatives.

The Interior Ministry had said conservatives, who call themselves “principlists” for their loyalty to the Islamic Republic’s ideals, had 74 percent of the 189 seats counted until Monday — indicating about 139 or 140 of parliament’s 290 seats.

That was before counting for Tehran’s 30 seats was complete.

At present, Iran’s electrical requirements are much more than it had been predicted earlier. Iran has achieved an annual growth of 8 per cent and the demand for electricity is likely to go up because country’s population would probably go up to100 million by 2025. In such context, Iran cannot actually rely exclusively on its oil and gas reserve and it is determined to develop alternate sources of electricity generation.

Our oil industry is aging and due to no substantial foreign investment because of US pressure, country has not been able to cross production level of 5.5 million barrels per day. Among 60 major oil fields in country, 57 are in urgent need of major repairing, upgrading and re-pressurizing maintenance that will need $40 billion in the coming 15 years. The current production level has gone up by more than 280% since 1979. It is just an indication that Iran, which relies on oil for 80 percent of its foreign currency and 45 percent of its annual budget, would become a net oil importer by 2010.

Further, the cost of producing electricity from gas and oil is little high than generating it through nuclear reactors. Iran has every right to preserve its nonrenewable oil and gas sources as the energy-rich United States and Russia did earlier. Setting up the nuclear reactors is important first step in diversifying Iran’s sources for energy.

The western part of the world, with their fear of an Iranian bomb, has failed to acknowledge Iran’s legitimate necessity for nuclear energy. Iran is building nuclear reactors and fuel enrichment facilities for peaceful uses of nuclear energy not for making bombs because we don’t believe in bombs.

Iran needs no nuclear weapons, nor war with the United States or any other country. Instead of indirect action and communication, and shows of force, the US should understand our problems and address us face to face. Iran’s nuclear program is right on the track to cross the point of no return. It is useless to describe Iranian nuclear empowerment like ‘Cuban Missile Crisis in slow motion’ as called by Secretary Rice.

I just want to say that we Iranians can respond strongly if America attacks on country’s nuclear facilities. The US would see adverse impact on its relation with Muslim and Arab world if it attacks. They would be gambling with death if it decides to launch a military attack on us. Iran has already been slapped with two rounds of UN sanctions because of our country’s leadership’s refusal to stop enrichment. We have already brought world powers ‘to their knees’ by defying the sanctions. We would show a ‘serious and logical reaction’ if the UN Security Council issues a third resolution against us.

We Iranians consider nuclear energy our definite right and do not accept any additional and cruel rules set up by western powers. America and its western and European allies would face us as a determined nation if they start a new game. If we decide to go nuclear what is your problems?