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'US has no plans to attack Iran'
22/02/2007 14:58 - (SA)
Washington - The United States has no intention of attacking Iran, secretary of state Condoleezza Rice said in a television interview broadcast on Thursday.
"Let me just say here publicly, the United States has no desire for confrontation with Iran. None," Rice told CNN.
"The option that we have is to continue to try to convince those who are reasonable in Iran, that the course they are on is destructive," Rice said.
Her comments came just ahead of a UN report that is likely to conclude that Iran has failed meet a UN security council demand to halt uranium enrichment programme, and with two US aircraft carrier groups deployed in the Gulf region.
In the interview Rice also reiterated her offer to talk to Iran "any time, any place" if Tehran first halts its uranium enrichment programme.
Washington and leading western powers believe that Iran plans to develop nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes.
In 2005, Rice offered Iran the possibility of direct talks on the turmoil in Iraq with the then-US ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad. The discussions never materialised and Washington cooled on the idea last year.
Washington and Tehran have been at odds for nearly 30 years and have no diplomatic ties, but had occasional contact through the United Nations or multinational forums such as deliberations on the future of Afghanistan.
In Berlin, Rice said on Thursday that world powers planned to refer Iran back to the security council in an attempt to halt its sensitive nuclear work and resume negotiations.
- AFP
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