Iran, in spite of ultimatums given by the American contestants of Presidency Senator Obama and Senator McCain, has tested missiles recently. It has also warned of raids on Israel and 32 American military installations if America attacks it. The major European powers like Britain, France and Germany, with whom Iran has good trade and economic relations, have made a 'gesture of good-will' by offering incentives last month in return for Iran suspending Uranium enrichment. But Iran has responded with a gesture of defiance by testing a missile. The problem of arms race and nuclear proliferation is actually the aftermath of military and strategic policies of international community, which is working under U.S tutelage. Amongst 57 Islamic independent states and more than 1. 4 billion Muslim population, Pakistan is the only Islamic nuclear state. It is crystal clear that Iran's nuclear programme is of a defensive nature. It is necessary for it to maintain balance of power because its arch-rival Israel, abetted by America, is a nuclear state having huge stock of nuke missiles. -SHAIKH ABDUL RASHEED, Shikarpur, via e-mail, July 14.