‘Iran will not engage in war with US’

Press TV
Tuesday, Dec 09, 2008

Chairman of Iran’s Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani says that the Islamic Republic does not intend to engage in a war with the US.

“We have no intention to involve in a conflict with the US. Iran only intends to stand on its two feet and set a role model for regional countries to uphold their independence and freedom,” Rafsanjani said Tuesday addressing prayers of Eid Al-Adha in Tehran.

He criticized the US President-elect Barack Obama for following the same policies adopted by the outgoing President George W. Bush on Iran. He said, “It is not appropriate for Obama to use such words [similar to those of Bush].”

Obama’s election as the next US president has opened prospects of Tehran-Washington rapprochement. His recent comments, however, suggest the former Illinois senator is already backtracking on campaign promises of ‘a clean break from the Bush administration’s policies’.

Obama said on Sunday that he would exercise “direct but tough diplomacy” in a bid to dissuade Tehran from enriching uranium.

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• A d v e r t i s e m e n t

In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press, Obama said he is prepared to offer ‘carrots’ in the form of generous economic incentives to persuade the Islamic Republic to wrap up its nuclear program. He warned that Iran’s refusal to halt its uranium enrichment program would subject the country to tougher sanctions – or ‘sticks’.

Iranian officials have repeatedly called on the Obama administration to live up to world expectations and forgo Washington’s age-old carrot and stick policies.

Rafsanjani recommended US leaders to confirm Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear energy and act rationally.

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