Iran, US should choose right path
Tehran, Aug 10, IRNA
Tehran-Friday Prayers-Rafsanjani
Tehran's substitute Friday prayers leader Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said here 'negotiation without pre-condition' is the best way to solve problems and urged the US to choose this best way.
Addressing thousands of worshipers at Tehran University Campus, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said, "Iran is always ready for negotiations and the US should retract its humiliating and unacceptable preconditions." He added the Islamic Republic of Iran has a positive role in resolving regional problems and the important region of the Middle East should no longer be in turmoil.
"If the Middle East is in trouble, many other countries and especially, industrial countries will be in trouble, too," the Ayatollah said.
Noting that the US exaggerates Iran's nuclear issue and slanders Tehran in this regard, Rafsanjani said, "Although inspectors have been coming to Iran for years and have inspected wherever they have wished, they have not been able to prove one single claim on Iran deviation from peaceful use of nuclear energy."
Referring to US troubles in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rafsanjani said the presence of occupiers in these countries have cause many problems for their people.
"I had already said that Iraq and Afghanistan are quagmires (for US) and when you are trapped in a quagmire, you can't get out on your own and someone should help you to get out."
Noting that the US has asked for Iran's help in Iraq, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said, "Negotiations of 'little effectiveness" have started and we hope that they pay attention to the realities."
"If the realities of Iraq and the region are taken into consideration without hegemonistic intentions and monopolistic policies and without hatred towards Islam and if only the interests of the people of the regional countries are considered, then you can get a positive result from the talks."
Stressing that the US is intervening in Iraq with 150,000 troopers, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said," Up to now, the Americans have not shown good signs in the talks and have accused Iran of intervening in Iraq."
Rafsanjani said,"The US occupied Iraq and Afghanistan with the purpose of pressurizing and surrounding Iran," adding they had not known these countries well and very soon it was known that the US has been surrounded by Iran instead of being able to surround Iran.
Rejecting claims of certain foreign media which say Iran has been besieged by the US, Ayatollah Rafsanjani said the reality is the opposite and all US activities in the region are under Iran's careful observation and if the US does not correct its tactics, it won't achieve its objectives and will ultimately conclude that it should satisfy Iran.
Ayatollah Rafsanjani referred to the failure of US plot called 'Great Middle East Plan' and said it was later known that the aim of this US dangerous project was pressurizing Iran.
Iran, US should choose right path
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