ENVOY OFFERS IRAN’S MEDIATION TO SOLVE NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM
Fars News Agency
Dec 12 2008
Iran
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran’s Ambassador to Azerbaijan Naser Hamidi Zare voiced
Tehran’s preparedness to help resolve a longstanding conflict between
Azerbaijan and Armenia.
"Azerbaijan and Armenia make efforts to resolve the conflict. Iran
can also use its potential in this respect," the envoy said about
Iran’s intention to mediate in the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict, reminding that Iran has made great proposals to Azerbaijan
on this issue.
Speaking to reporters during a press conference, Hadimi Zare
further viewed future of Iran-Azerbaijan relations as very clear
and prosperous.
Asked about Iran’s view over Turkey’s "Caucasus Stability and Security
Platform" initiative, Hamidi Zareh said the world is tired of Marxist
and capitalist systems.
"It is time to create a new clean and honest system. The world needs
a fair system," he said.
Elsewhere, the diplomat said Muslim countries, as well as independent
and free countries of the world must take effective steps toward
prevention of genocide in Palestine and ending of blockade of Gaza
Strip.
Responding to a question about possibility of war between Iran and
Israel, Hamidi Zare reminded that Tehran does not recognize any such
country as Israel, and called possibility of war as tattles.
Israel and its close ally the United States accuse Iran of seeking
a nuclear weapon, while they have never presented any corroborative
document to substantiate their allegations. Both Washington and Tel
Aviv possess advanced weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear
warheads.
Iran vehemently denies the charges, insisting that its nuclear program
is for peaceful purposes only. Tehran stresses that the country has
always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number
of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.
Speculation that Israel could bomb Iran has mounted since a big
Israeli air drill in June. In the first week of June, 100 Israeli
F-16 and F-15 fighters reportedly took part in an exercise over the
eastern Mediterranean and Greece, which was interpreted as a dress
rehearsal for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear installations.
Iran has, in return, warned that it would target Israel and its
worldwide interests in case it comes under attack by the Tel Aviv.
A US attack on the Syrian village of Sukkariyah on October 26, has
also raised speculation about the likelihood of a US unilateral strike
on the Islamic Republic.
The United States has also always stressed that military action is
a main option for the White House to deter Iran’s progress in the
field of nuclear technology.
Iran has warned it could close the strategic Strait of Hormoz if it
became the target of a military attack over its nuclear program.
Strait of Hormoz, the entrance to the strategic Persian Gulf waterway,
is a major oil shipping route.
Meantime, a recent study by the Institute for Science and International
Security (ISIS), a prestigious American think tank, has found that a
military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities "is unlikely" to delay
the country’s program.
The ISIS study also cautioned that an attack against Iran would
backfire by compelling the country to acquire nuclear weaponry.
Intensified threats by Tel Aviv and Washington of military action
against Iran contradict a recent report by 16 US intelligence
bodies which endorsed the civilian nature of Iran’s nuclear plans
and activities.
Following the US National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) and similar
reports by the IAEA head – one in November and the other one in
February – which praised Iran’s truthfulness about key aspects of
its past nuclear activities and announced settlement of outstanding
issues with Tehran, any effort to impose further sanctions or launch
military attack on Iran seems to be completely irrational.
The February report by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International
Atomic Energy Agency, praised Iran’s cooperation in clearing up all
of the past questions over its nuclear program, vindicating Iran’s
nuclear program and leaving no justification for any new UN sanctions.
The UN nuclear watchdog has also carried out at least 14 surprise
inspections of Iran’s nuclear sites so far, but found nothing to
support West’s allegations.
Following the said reports by the US and international bodies, many
world states have called the UN Security Council pressure against
Tehran unjustified, demanding that Iran’s case be normalized and
returned from the UNSC to the IAEA.