- HYDERABAD, (IANS) -- Iran
suspects the United States has a hidden agenda in the Gulf and was using
Iraq's alleged weapons stockpile as a ploy to further its own designs.
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- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told a news conference
here Tuesday that the countries in the region were concerned over the hidden
agenda the United States may have in the region.
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- "There is a real concern in the region. It is not
the concern of only Iran but all the countries in the region that Americans
may have some hidden agenda and Iraq may be an excuse and that they want
to change the whole region," he charged.
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- Replying to a question, he said Tehran was not concerned
that after Iraq Tehran could be the next target of the United States.
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- "Iran is totally different from Iraq. Iran is a
democracy and it is doing its best to promote peace and security in the
region."
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- Asked whether Iran would help Iraq in the event of a
war, he said Tehran would not participate in the war. "But this does
not mean that we will be indifferent. We have our own national interests
to look after."
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- He said a war in Iraq would increase oil prices and this
was not in anyone's interest.
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- "We should prevent the outbreak of war as it may
destabilise the oil market. Energy is very important for everyone. That
has been one of the issues of concern for oil producing and oil purchasing
countries," he said.
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