Extending beyond its supposed knowhow in nuclear technology, Iran has now claimed worldwide mastery over the science of cloning. An Iranian report Saturday said that a scientist in Isfahan in central Iran had cloned a cow. Saturday's cow is the third animal Iran claims to have cloned: In 2006 scientists said they had cloned a sheep and a goat.
Shiite clerics in Iran permit cloning, but Sunni authorities have banned the practice. Meanwhile western scientists said that the Iranian claim was "doubtful." The Iranian government has set a goal to become a regional leader in advanced sciences and technology by 2025.