NEW DELHI: US Ambassador to United Nations Nikki Haley, who is on a three-day visit to India, on Thursday took an aim at Iran and said the Middle East country is "the next North Korea."
Addressing a press gathering in the national capital, Haley said, "We believe we can't take our eyes off Iran. We don't believe this because of some ideas but because of proof. We have seen that in spite of the Iran deal, it continued to violate resolution after resolution. In our eyes, Iran is the next North Korea."
"North Korea dedicated their effort towards building nuclear forces and strong sanctions have curtailed them over time. However, Iran is a theocratic dictatorship and their pursuit of nuclear weapons, threatens all of us," she added.
It is pertinent to mention here that on May 8, US President Donald Trump announced Washington's withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or the Iran nuclear deal which limited the country's uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief.
Meanwhile, the 46-year-old diplomat also used the occasion to dwell upon India's nuclear capabilities and heaped praises on the country.
"On the other hand, India holds nuclear capabilities as well but is widely respected. This is because India is democratic and is a member of three non-proliferation groups. India and America share a natural friendship," she said.
Haley, who arrived in India on June 26, earlier today met with External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, and both the leaders held a discussion on various topics like UN reforms, counterterrorism and leadership roles of women in India.
Earlier on Wednesday, Haley met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, including on counter-terrorism.
Halley, who is the highest ranking Indian-American official in Trump administration, last visited India in 2014 when she was the South Carolina Governor.