Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi rejected Sunday speculation the United States would be allowed to use Iran's airspace if it launched a strike against Baghdad.
"All (this) information is baseless. We have not discussed the use of Iranian air space with the United States," Kharazi said.
He stated that Washington had not contacted Tehran on the issue, and dismissed reports claiming Iran, Saudi Arabia and Egypt would allow their airspace to be used in attacks on Iraq.
The Iranian foreign minister called the reports "an American tactic to spark discord between these countries".
According to diplomats and analysts, the United States and Iran have held secret coordination talks ahead of a possible US-led military attack aimed at toppling Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
The two countries were said to be discussing rules on the use of airspace and the role of Iran-based Iraqi opposition groups if Saddam's regime was ousted.
Kharazi, who was due in Beirut later Sunday, also rejected Israeli claims that members of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network were operating with the Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to AFP.
"There is no resemblance between the objectives defended by Hezbollah and those of Al-Qaeda," he said.
"If the smallest relation existed between these two parties, the United States would have used this as a pretext to cause an uproar."
Earlier, Kharazi held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which dealt with Iraq, and on what was described as "criminal and brutal" acts in the Palestinian territories, SANA news agency reported.
Both countries are working to prevent a war and are "intensifying contacts with the European Union, Russia and the UN" to this end, Kharazi said.
Meanwhile, with his Syrian counterpart, Farouk Al-Shara, the two discussed regional and international issues as well as the international inspectors in Iraq, according to SANA.
For his part, Sharaa stressed the necessity of respecting international legitimacy resolutions and the UN charters, which prohibit interference in the domestic affairs of other states, SANA said.
The two Ministers asserted the necessity of the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions by all members of the United Nations, including Israel.
In addition, they discussed the “deteriorated situation in the occupied Palestinian territories” due to Israel’s violations, the agency added. They also reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of strengthening them. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
