TEHRAN, 30 October 2005 — Iran yesterday retreated from remarks by its president that Israel should be “wiped off the map,” saying it stood by its UN commitments and would not use violence against another country. A Foreign Ministry statement said Iran was “committed to its UN charter commitments” and noted Tehran had “never used force against a second country or threatened the use of force.”
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday stood by his rhetoric, calling for Israel to be destroyed. While not specifically refuting the president, the Foreign Ministry said Tehran had no intention of launching an assault on the Jewish state and would back whatever course the Palestinians chose to resolve the Middle East conflict. Iran has developed Shahab-3 ballistic missiles that are capable of hitting Israel.
Ahmadinejad’s remarks were condemned by the UN Security Council and governments across the world summoned Iranian ambassadors to explain the president’s comments. The United States said Ahmadinejad’s remarks underscored its fears that Tehran was pursuing nuclear arms.
The Foreign Ministry statement said Ahmadinejad had mapped out Iran’s policy on Israel at the United Nations in New York last month. “The official stance ... is that the occupation of Palestine should end, refugees should return and a democratic state should be formed with Jerusalem as its capital,” the statement added. Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, told the ISNA students news agency Iran would back whatever the Palestinians chose. “Iran is still insisting on its earlier position that the Palestinian people should decide their own future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Iran is upbeat about the prospect of fresh nuclear talks and finding a diplomatic solution to an international impasse over Iran’s nuclear program, a government spokesman said. “The prospect of the negotiations is not negative as both the Iranian and the European sides believe in resolving the nuclear issue by diplomatic means,” said spokesman Hossein Entezami, quoted by ISNA.
“Tehran has not set any pre-conditions for resuming the negotiations so we are hopeful about the continuation of negotiations,” said Entezami, who is the new spokesman for Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. The Council is headed by Larijani.
However, Entezami signaled that Iran was not likely to renounce its right to pursue a nuclear energy program, which it claims is for peaceful purposes but the United States believes is aimed at producing weapons, or to halt uranium conversion activities. “Neither the government, nor the Supreme Security Council nor any other official in the country will allow themselves to haggle over national interests or any matter that could elevate the nation and boost its privileges.”
