IRI Envoy: Speaking of invading Iran makes one laugh

According to IRNA from Beirut, Ghazanfar Roknabadi made the comment in an interview with the Lebanese daily ‘As-Safir’, further emphasizing, “It is no even assumable that the west would be capable of launching a military invasion against Iran and we consider this move (EU oil sanctions) and hue and cry merely as a propagation maneuver.”

The Islamic Republic of Iran in Syria, too, said, “We had announced at the very beginning that we support the righteous demands of the entire nations, including the Syrians.”

He said that the Syrians are after true reforms, but they support President Bashar al-Assad’s government, reiterating, “It is quite natural that Iran supports the Syrians’ demand in this respect and furthermore, we believe the Syrian crisis must be solved inside Syria and no one is allowed to interfere in that country’s affairs.”

In response to a question on Iran’s continual support for Assad’s regime, Roknabadi said, “We would remain by the side of the Syrian people and the Syrian government, because we are sure that the majority of the people in that country favor implementation of reforms by Bashar Assad himself.”

He referred to the bilateral meetings between the Iranian and Turkish officials and their viewpoints on Syria, reiterating, “In our meetings with Turkish officials we emphasized that there are realities regarding Syria which cannot be ignored, including the majority of Syrians’ support for their political regime.”

Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon said that some people’s prediction on Syria is one thing and the sheer reality there is something else, because anyone who travels to Syria and visits the different cities there realizes that the situation is not the way that some media report with so much hue and cries.”

Regarding the EU Foreign Ministers meeting and the sanctions they have imposed against Iran, he said that such moves against oil and central Bank are unprecedented, adding, “30 years ago Iran had nothing, relying merely on its oil exports and imports of everything from the west, but the Iranian nation managed to deport 60 thousand US technicians and to severe relations with that country and today, too, we have reached an advanced stage in scientific and technological fields, including the nuclear sciences.”

The IRI ambassador focusing on Iran’s relation with Saudi Arabia after the US accusation that Tehran had intended to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to Washington, said, “After visits by the Iranian ministers of intelligence and foreign affairs of Saudi Arabia frameworks have been devised for strengthening bilateral cooperation to dismantle any type of plot aimed at creating discord among Muslim nations.”

Roknabadi also informed the audience of the near future visit of the Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi of Lebanon.

2329**2329