TEHRAN -- Iran warned International Committee of Commerce on Tuesday that political pressure on Iran-Europe trade is feared to put Europe's interests at stake and asked the Committee's head to use his influence in order to avert the pressures, IRNA reported.

Head of Iran's Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Mines (ICCIM) Ali-Naqi Khamoushi in a letter, sent to head of the International Committee of Commerce (ICC) Jean Rene Fortou on Tuesday, said that the world has on ample occasion experienced that political methods such as sanctions or building restrictions are not the safe means to achieve political ends.

"I ask your excellency to use your influence and authority as the ICC head in order not to get involved in the case and to have European Commission justify and regulate their attitude and explain to them that political pressures on Iran-Europe ties would put European states' interests at stake," Khamoushi urged Fortou in the letter, copies of which made available to European Common Market and all the national committees of International Commerce Chambers in Europe and the US.

Khamoushi further asked Fortou to use his influence and convince Europeans not to mix their political wishes with commercial interests.

He said that it has been proved that the companies and traders of the countries, that issue restrictions on other countries, suffer the most from the measures.

Khamoushi quoted European Commission President Romano Prodi as recently threatening that if Iran refuses to join the second protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and if it refuses to take any action to improve the so-called `bad' human rights condition, Europe would revise its commercial and trade ties with Tehran.

He said that actually, European Commission has through exerting pressure collectively on Iran's trade apparatus been trying to say that it would cut talks with Tehran, but as a matter of fact, experience has shown that such ploys and sanctions and restrictions are not sound means to achieve political ends.

Khamoushi said politics should be enforced through political means as trade and related professions deserve related commercial mechanisms to be fulfilled.

"While no politician would allow any trader to use political means even indirectly to achieve his commercial ends, why the world of trade should so generously put its facilities and potential at the disposal of policy makers?" he asked.

As head of the ICC's Iran branch, Khamoushi called on Fortou to take all necessary measures within framework of the ICC charter and in line with the 2003 plan of action to prevent the anti-Iran stance.

He said the stance taken by Prodi is an outstanding example of combination and blending of commercial interests of Iranian and European private sectors with political considerations, prompting the ICC head to intervene in the case.