Middle Orient News

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said he can’t promise to set free the five Iranian diplomats kidnapped during a raid by the US troops on Iran’s consulate general in the Iraqi northern city of Erbil a few months ago.

Iran’s executive director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that the US boycott on two Iranian banks is against the contents of the IMF agreement, and called on IMF officials to take the required actions in this regard.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that the Islamic Republic is determined to pursue the case of the Iranian diplomats kidnapped in Iraq and set them free.

Russian officials in charge of construction of Bushehr nuclear project are likely to pay a visit to Tehran later this week, an informed source said here on Sunday.

Iran’s First Vice-President Parviz Dawoodi said that the release of the second Secretary of Iran’s Embassy in Baghdad, Jalal Sharafi, was in no way related to the pardoning of the 15 British troops who trespassed on Iran’s waters.

Tehran believes that the summit of the foreign ministers of Iraq’s neighboring states should be held in Baghdad, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Gholam Ali Haddad Adel described as a worthless theatrical act the recent interview with 6 of the freed British marines broadcast by western media.

Iranian First Vice-President Parviz Dawoodi called on the world bodies to adopt stronger stances in support of Iran’s peaceful nuclear activities.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is scheduled to mark April 9 as the ‘National Day of Nuclear Technology’ during a ceremony due to be held in Natanz nuclear facility, where President Ahmadinejad will announce the good news about nuclear progress.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Mohammad Ali Hosseini said in a letter submitted to the Iranian embassy Britain mentioned that its marines did not pursue any hostile intentions when trespassing Iran’s waters and pledged to avoid repetition of such measures in future.