German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Iran has right to develop its nuclear energy program as a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

According to a commentary in the Sunday paper Bild am Sonntag, Westerwelle pointed out "Iran's right to have nuclear energy for civilian use.”.

As IRNA reported, he also mentioned his country's ongoing efforts for a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear issue.

The German Minister also called for a Middle East “free from nuclear arms.”

Washington and its allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons while Tehran insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.