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Iran Urges U.S. to Tone Down 'Language'

Posted on: Monday, 9 June 2003, 06:00 CDT

The United States is stepping up pressure on Iran because it resents Tehran's independent foreign policy, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Monday, warning the approach will backfire.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said Iran hopes the United States "returns to logic and gives up its threatening language."

U.S. officials have accused Iran of harboring senior figures of the al-Qaida terror group and secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program. The comments have fueled worries among Iranians that Washington might be planning to attack Iran, since it leveled similar charges against Iraq before invading. But U.S. officials say there is no such plan.

On Sunday, Secretary of State Colin Powell said many Iranian youth are dissatisfied with their government. Last week, the United States joined the Group of Eight nations in warning Iran the world would not tolerate its developing a nuclear bomb. Iran says its nuclear development is entirely for generating electricity.

"The language of threats and force won't work against Iran. It will only backfire," Asefi told a press conference.

"America's entire propaganda against Tehran is because of Iran's independent foreign policy. This is what the U.S. administration dislikes," Asefi said.

Iran, which aligns itself with no particular bloc and has no defense pacts with any country, prides itself on not giving in to outside demands on how to run the country.

Regarding al-Qaida, Iran says its policy is to arrest members of the terrorist group and deport them to their country of origin. It has refused to reveal the names of members it is currently holding, saying it has not yet identified them.

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