Top > World > 2006 > April > 2006-04-18

Former Iran Prez Denounces Opposition to Nuke Program

Iran`s former president Hashemi Rafsanjani accuses the United States Sunday of waging "a psychological war" against Tehran and says an American strike against the Islamic Republic would not be in Washington`s interests. Rafsanjani, who heads the Expediency Council, a powerful body that mediates between Iran`s parliament and clerical hierarchy, says Western nations` attempts to block Iran`s nuclear program were "unjust."

Rafsanjani says he believes the United States was "incapable of taking a risk or engaging in a new war in the region without discussing the subject seriously." U.S. media reports have said the Bush administration was considering a military attack on Iran over its nuclear program, which Washington claims is designed to produce nuclear weapons. The White House denied the reports, labeling them ridiculous. Iran says its nuclear program is purely for generating energy, but as the Islamic Republic is a known state-sponsor of terrorism a good number of non-Islamic countries around the world buy that argument.

"Iran`s success in uranium enrichment is for the interest of the region`s countries and all Islamic countries," reiterating the position that Iran`s nuclear program is not intended to harm any country in the region. "If the United States launched a military strike against Iran, that would be neither in its interests nor in the interests of the entire region," Rafsanjani told a joint news conference in Damascus with Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa.