TEHRAN, 31 May 2004 - Iran yesterday ruled out any cooperation with the United States in its occupation of neighboring Iraq, and demanded that any new Iraqi government be given "full sovereignty".
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi refused to say if the Islamic republic, which recognizes the US-appointed interim Governing Council, will also offer recognition to the new caretaker government due to take power by June 30.
He also complained that a US-British draft resolution on Iraq being considered by the UN Security Council contained "a number of ambiguities".
"There is no question of any cooperation between Iran and the United States in Iraq," Asefi told reporters.
"Iran does not want to cooperate with an occupying force which now commits barbaric acts against holy sites," he said, referring to US military operations in the cities of Karbala and Najaf.
Asefi refused to spell out Iran's diplomatic position following the handover, but added "what is important is that Iraq has total sovereignty and that the occupiers leave as soon as possible."
Tehran Warns IAEA
Iran warned the UN nuclear watchdog yesterday not to put too much pressure on Tehran lest its rulers end their cooperation altogether.
"Iran is still bound by its commitments," Asefi told reporters. "There is no sign from our side that we will question our cooperation, but the agency should not create an atmosphere that pushes our leadership to doubt this cooperation," he cautioned.
His comments came two weeks before the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is due to again examine Iran's dossier amid ongoing suspicions that Iran is using a bid to generate nuclear power as a cover for secret weapons development.
Meanwhile, Iran has lodged an official complaint with Jordan after Farah Diba, the widow of the ousted Iranian shah, was invited to the wedding of Crown Prince Hamza, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said.
