WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- US intelligence officials on Wednesday painted Iran as one of the leading threats facing the United States, alleging it pursues ballistic missiles while continuing to support terrorism.

    CIA Director Porter Goss noted to lawmakers that Iranian officials had indicated that Iran would not give up its ability to enrich uranium. "Certainly they can use it to produce fuel for power reactors, We are more concerned about the dual-use nature of the nuclear technology that could also be used to achieve a nuclear weapon," Goss said.

    "In parallel, Iran continues its pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles," the new intelligence chief told the Senate Select Committee at its annual threat assessment hearing.

    Goss charged that Tehran continued to support terrorist groups in the Middle East region with an aim of derailing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.He also accused Iran of "supporting some anti-coalition activities in Iraq and seeking to influence the future character of the Iraqi state."

    Goss said Tehran continued to harbor important members of al-Qaeda, "causing further uncertainty about Iran's commitment to bring them to justice."

    Vice Adm. Lowell Jacoby, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, echoed Goss' remarks at the hearing, saying Iran's long-term goal is to expel the United States from the Middle East region. Enditem