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Iran will 'never' use force against Muslim neighbors, foreign minister says
IRAN will never use force against its Muslim neighbours, the country's foreign minister told a conference on Middle East security today, following US said Arab states voicing concernss over Tehran's suspected attempts to acquire nuclear weapons.And in a keynote address to the conference, Jordan's King Abdullah II said Israeli-Palestinian peace talks must be rescued from collapse to ensure regional and world stability. "We have never used our force against our neighbours and never will because our neighbors are Muslims," Iran's Manouchehr Mottaki said. "Your power in the region is our power, and our power is your power." US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Friday that US concerns over Tehran's suspected atomic weapons program were shared by Iran's neighbours. But Mottaki cautioned against submitting to "pressure by outsiders to divide us and create instability," saying that "the presence of foreign powers will not help establish security in the region" and urging cooperation among Gulf countries. He said it was vital for Iran to "have stability and security, because we [Iran and its neighboring Gulf states] provide the world with most of its energy." "Iran is determined to guarantee international security in the field of energy," he added. Yesterday, Mrs Clinton said that "there is no debate in the international community, and perhaps the Iranians will engage seriously ... on what is a concern shared by nations on every continent but most particularly right here in the region," referring to talks due to start Monday between major powers and Iran over Tehran's nuclear program. Posted by: tipper 2010-12-04 |
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