U.S. Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has lashed out at Washington's hostile policies toward Iran, saying there is no evidence that Tehran is making nuclear weapons. 

Iranians are “planning to be bombed” and would understandably make the necessary arrangements to counter the threat, even though there is “no evidence whatsoever” that they have “enriched” uranium, Paul said in a recent speech. 

Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the “option” of a military strike, based on the allegation that Iran's nuclear work may consist of a covert military aspect. 

Last week, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said the U.S. military is ready to launch a military strike against Iran, if occasion necessitates. 

Dempsey's warmongering tirades came on the heels of equally aggressive remarks by U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta that “no options were off the table” regarding Iran's nuclear program. 

Paul also noted that Iran's anti-U.S. stance stems from Washington's interference in Tehran's internal affairs. 

He referred to the 1953 coup d'état against then Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddeq, explaining that the U.S. forcefully replaced Mosaddeq with a ruthless dictator to secure its own interests, including oil benefits. 

Paul also criticized the U.S. sanctions against the Islamic Republic, describing them as “acts of war” which can pave the way for a real conflict in the Middle East. 

“Sanctions were the first step in our wars against Iraq and Libya, and now more sanctions planned against Syria and Iran are leading down the same destructive path,” he warned in a recent article titled The Folly of Sanctions. 

On December 31, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law fresh economic sanctions against Iran's Central Bank in a bid to punish foreign companies and banks that do business with the Iranian financial institution. 

The United States has already barred its own banks from dealing with the Iranian Central Bank. Thus, the new U.S. sanctions are intended to dissuade other foreign banks from doing transactions with Iran's Central Bank by threatening to cut off their access to U.S. financial institutions. 

The U.S., Israel and their allies accuse Iran of pursuing a military nuclear program and have used this allegation as a pretext to push the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Iran. 

Tehran has categorically refuted the Western allegations, saying that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it has the right to acquire and develop atomic technology for peaceful purposes.