Gulf states not to allow strike on Iran
Gulf-Iran, Politics, 11/6/2007

Iran is confident that the Arab Gulf states will not allow their territory to be used for likely strike on Iran, said Acting Foreign Minister Ali-Reza Sheikh Attar on Monday.

Sheikh Attar told Bahraini press that the reason for such a confidence is the approval of Bahraini parliament which bans use of Bahraini territory for possible attack on Iran.

He said Iran's defense policy is based on repelling likely aggression but not attacking others.

Questioned about recent statement of the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corpse, Attar said the commander had said Iran would have all kinds of defense if attacked and that's not something new. "Such a stance cannot be an affront to peace and stability of the region," he added.

He went on to say that during the eight-year war (1980-88), imposed on Iran by former Iraqi Baathist regime, the Iranian people showed heroic resistance against the enemy -- an instance of which was a 13-year-old boy, Hossein Fahmideh, who blew himself up with a grenade under an Iraqi tank. He said Iranians are well prepared to show the same type of resistance if the country is attacked, he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Attar said US sanctions against Iran have not been effective as testified by economic indices. Export of non-oil commodities has shown eight percent increase compared to last year, he added.

He then pointed to agreements reached between Iran and Bahrain in the fields of gas and petrochemicals during his visit to Bahrain and said there are vast grounds for expansion of mutual cooperation and relations.

He said volume of mutual transactions can exceed 200 million dollars. Attar said Iran is ready to provide foreign investors with necessary guarantees.

Meantime, According to the Saudi-based al-Watan daily, Saud al-Faisal, in an interview with the British TV channel 4, said that expansion of nuclear weapons would benefit no state. "We have to convince the Iranians that nuclear weapons would not materialize any objective," he added in his interview. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini yesterday said that the remarks attributed to Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal are "surprising and contrary to Riyadh's principal stands".

Talking to foreign and domestic reporters, he said, Iran's nuclear program is thoroughly peaceful. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as the only legal and lawful source has repeatedly announced that there had been no deviation in Iran's peaceful nuclear program, he added.

"Unfounded and ambiguous remarks will not serve the interests of the regional states, nor will they help establish peace and stability in the region," he said, adding that making such remarks would only pave the way for foreigners to take advantage of the issue," Hosseini reiterated.

Saudi Justice Minister Abdallah bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim al-Shaykh on Monday underscored the need for further consultation between Iranian and Saudi officials.
In a meeting with Iran's Ambassador to Riyadh, Mohammad Hosseini, he said the sensitive situation of the region and the world of Islam calls for closer relations between Tehran and Riyadh.

The two countries' leaderships share identical views regarding many regional and international developments, the Saudi minister said urging the need for exchange of visits between the two countries' officials.

Referring to the regional situation as "very sensitive", he called for passing through such a sensitive situation with prudence, and wisdom and away from tension.

Bahrain Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad al-Khalifa deplored a British daily action in distorting the Bahraini crown prince's words concerning Iran. In a meeting with Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki on Saturday afternoon, on the sidelines of Iraq neighbors foreign ministers meeting, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmad al-Khalifa said, "The crown prince's words published in a British daily is 'distorted' and we officially reject them." Referring to the aims of a number of media in creating pessimism and misunderstanding among neighboring countries, the Bahraini foreign minister said, "Ties between Iran and Bahrain are very deep and strong and such efforts cannot stop its growing trend."
He added, "Bahrain is awaiting the upcoming visit of President Ahmadi-Nejad."

Mottaki, for his part, said, "Countries with failed policies in the region are trying to use different methods to weaken regional countries and take advantage of the situation."

Previous Stories:
  Iran on Arab Gulf states security talks   (7/2/2007)
  International symposium on Persian Gulf in Tehran   (5/28/2007)
  Iran cooperation with gulf states in nuclear area   (5/28/2007)

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