On US threats against Iran
Iran-USA, Politics, 4/18/2006

Iran's Expediency Council Chairman Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said here on Tuesday that US attack on Iran is 'very unlikely' and Tehran believes the Persian Gulf littoral states will under no condition cooperate with Iran's enemies in that case.

"We are friends with the neighboring states, especially Kuwait, and in this case (US' military invasion on Iran), they are not in favor of such a happening. If it does, they will definitely not cooperate with the US," said Rafsanjani in an interview with reporters before leaving Kuwait for Tehran.

During the occupation of their country by former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, the Kuwaiti people witnessed how Iran supported the Kuwaitis and how it provided them with the facilities they wanted, he pointed out.

Rafsanjani also considered Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities 'unlikely' and said, "Israel's hostility with Iran is very serious but Tel Aviv would not dare attack Iran because it knows pretty well that if such a thing happens, the calamity befalling it will be quite extensive." Rafsanjani said Monday that the threat of a possible US attack on Iran was a "hollow fantasy."

Speaking to reporters at the Kuwaiti parliament, the cleric underlined the firm stance of Iranian officials vis-a-vis any aggression against the country. "A new conflict in the Middle East will not favor the US, Iran or any other regional state," Rafsanjani said.

US Secretary Of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had said that those talking about an attack on Iran are in "fantasy" land, indicating that this not a likelihood, however, US efforts seemed to be focused on getting cover for any sanctions or enforcement against Iran by trying to get UN Security Council support for the US position.

Rumsfeld said that the United States continues to support ongoing diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to stop its nuclear activities and cooperate fully with the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid-Reza Asefi today called on the five UN permanent members to decide wisely and prevent a repeat of mistakes saying "The meeting is more important for the participating countries than us (Iran) because they will be the ones that will suffer if they do not act wisely and make a mistake again."

Asefi said that the threat of economic sanctions or a US military attack on Iran were nothing but psychological war and the result of Israeli pressure adding "Threats by the United States are not new. The Islamic Republic of Iran gets used to them and also adopts appropriate strategies to neutralize them."
Asefi said Iran is being subjected to psychological war with accusations raised against it, but "neither the region nor the US itself have the capacity to attack Iran.. Attack is not on the US agenda," he added.

Asefi cautioned participants of UN permanent members meeting to "discuss issues wisely and be aware that any pressure brought to bear on Iran will have adverse consequences."

First Vice-President Parviz Davoudi said yesterday that Iran's future talks on nuclear case would be based on international regulations and the International Atomic Energy Agency. "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood up to all international pressures bravely and materialized access to nuclear fuel cycle technology. The president did not yield to pressures even those exerted by the UN Security Council and materialized the national will" he said.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last Tuesday that Iran has joined the world's nuclear countries.

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