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Iran 'ready for US'
21/02/2007 22:36 - (SA)
Istanbul - Iran was prepared for possible US military action over its nuclear programme, but believed dialogue was the best way to resolve the dispute, foreign minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here on Wednesday.
"The United States put forward two options: the first is to use violence and the second (is) co-operation," the Iranian minister told reporters at the end of a two-day visit to Turkey.
"We are ready for both eventualities but, of course, we have always preferred co-operation."
Mottaki said the dispute should be resolved through a "diplomatic solution", adding that threats would not cajole Tehran into making concessions.
A BBC report on Tuesday said the United States had drawn up detailed contingency plans for air strikes against
Iran - including targets beyond nuclear facilities such as military bases and missile facilities.
The US defence department dismissed the report as "ludicrous".
Tehran vowed on Wednesday that it would continue its nuclear drive, defying a new UN deadline to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment work.
Asked whether Tehran may consider making concessions from its current stance, Mottaki insisted there was room for a settlement.
"We believe that there are possibilities for a comprehensive solution... based on two principles -- recognising Iran's right to nuclear technology for pacific purposes and removing concerns over this issue.
- AFP
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