Iran Will Never Stop Supporting Lebanese and Palestinian Struggle
May 5, 1998 - 0:0
TEHRAN The United States is urging Iran to stop supporting the Lebanese and Palestinian struggle against Zionism as a price for restoring relations between Washington and Tehran and for removing Iran's name from the list of countries supporting terrorism, the Arabic daily Al-Hayat published from London has said quoting the Chief of Iran's Islamic Propagation Organization (IPO), Mohammad Mohammadi Araqi. The daily Al-Hayat on Sunday published an interview of Mohammadi Araqi in which it quoted him as saying that Iran will never stop supporting Lebanese and Palestinian struggle against Zionism. The U.S. claim that Iran was the most active supporter of terrorism in l997 was baseless because Iran itself is victim of terrorism, the daily quoted Mohammadi Araqi as saying.
According to an IRNA report the Arabic daily further quoted Araqi as saying that the U.S. allegations against Iran were politically motivated and that if a clear and descriptive definition of terrorism is made, Israel falls into that category as the best example of terrorism. The IPO chief said the enemies of Islam were against Iran having good and friendly relations with the Arab countries and that the main motive behind the war imposed on Iran was to create differences between Iran and its Arab neighbours in this region, according to the daily.
He called for greater cooperation between Iran and other Persian Gulf States and hoped that the misunderstanding between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would also be removed soon. Referring to the possibility of a dialogue between Iran and the U.S., the IPO Chief was quoted as saying that this issue was closely related with constant U.S. hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran. As long as this situation continues, there could be no talks between Tehran and Washington, he was quoted as saying.
Mohammadi Araqi was quoted by the arabic daily as denying any existence of secret contacts between Iran and the United States and adding that the Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami does not need to have such covert relations.
According to an IRNA report the Arabic daily further quoted Araqi as saying that the U.S. allegations against Iran were politically motivated and that if a clear and descriptive definition of terrorism is made, Israel falls into that category as the best example of terrorism. The IPO chief said the enemies of Islam were against Iran having good and friendly relations with the Arab countries and that the main motive behind the war imposed on Iran was to create differences between Iran and its Arab neighbours in this region, according to the daily.
He called for greater cooperation between Iran and other Persian Gulf States and hoped that the misunderstanding between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would also be removed soon. Referring to the possibility of a dialogue between Iran and the U.S., the IPO Chief was quoted as saying that this issue was closely related with constant U.S. hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran. As long as this situation continues, there could be no talks between Tehran and Washington, he was quoted as saying.
Mohammadi Araqi was quoted by the arabic daily as denying any existence of secret contacts between Iran and the United States and adding that the Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami does not need to have such covert relations.