• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Wiser for EU to avoid collision with Iran, says Mottaki

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Feb 2, IRNA
Iran-Mottaki-Guardian
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki Thursday advised Britain and other European countries to avoid a collision with Iran by postponing a decision to refer Tehran's nuclear file to the UN Security Council.

"There's still time for our European friends to take a wise decision not to take wrong steps," Mottaki said after holding a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw during a visit to London to attend an international conference on Afghanistan.

His warning came as board members of the IAEA were holding an emergency session in Vienna to discuss a UK-drafted resolution to report Iran's file to the Security Council.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, the Iranian minister suggested that EU countries use the opportunity to take time out until the next scheduled meeting of the IAEA on March 6.

He said the US was manufacturing the latest threat to refer Iran's nuclear file to the Security Council, warning that such steps would be counter-productive and be met by appropriate responses by Tehran.

He also vowed that Iran will match any sanctions threat with measures of its own, and warned that the west would quickly regret any resort to military action, according to the report.

"Any military action by the US or Israel against Iran would have "severe consequences" and would be countered "by all means" at Iran's disposal, he was quoted saying.

The Iranian minister also dismissed threats of Israeli strikes, saying "Iran does not think that the Zionist regime is in a condition to engage in such a dangerous venture."
"They know how severe the possible Iranian response will be to its possible audacity," he said. "Suffice to say that the Zionist regime, if they attack, will regret it."
Mottaki was equally dismissive of any US threat, saying that Washington, even with 200,000 troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, was unable to impose its will on the region.

"It would be better for President Bush to spend the second half of his presidency governing his country in a calmer manner," he advised.

2220/345/2321/1414