Iran 'not giving Hamas weapons'

2006-05-14 11:04

Tehran - Iran on Sunday denied supplying the Palestinian radical group Hamas with weapons, insisting that its support was only "humanitarian and spiritual".

The comments came after Jordan said last week that it had seized Iranian-made Katyusha rockets and arrested 20 suspects in its investigation into alleged plots by Hamas to carry out attacks in Jordan.

"We do not help the Palestinian government with weapons," foreign ministry spokesperson Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters.

"Our co-operation with Palestine is humanitarian and spiritual support."

The Jordanian allegations, he added, were "baseless and unfounded".

Last month, Iran pledged $50m in aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government following the suspension of funding from the United States and European Union.

Iran also said on Friday it would give 300 light and heavy vehicles to the cash-strapped Palestinian government for municipal use.

- AFP