Middle East News
US embassy plan in Tehran "deceptive," Iranian speaker says
Jun 26, 2008, 8:38 GMT
Tehran - A plan by the United States to set up a de facto embassy in Tehran was 'deceptive,' Iranian Parliamentary Speaker Ali Larijani said Thursday.
'I generally do not comment on rumours, but these rumours rather sound deceptive,' Larijani told Fars news agency.
There have been US press reports and official indications that Washington was considering opening a so-called interests section, or unofficial embassy, in Tehran which would also issue visas for Iranian nationals with relatives in the US.
'The Americans are not stable in what they say. Two years ago we suggested direct flights (from Tehran) to the US. If the Americans were really serious in this regard, then they would have at least replied,' Larijani said.
Larijani was referring to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's offer to resume direct flights to the US in order to facilitate family reunions. The US aviation organization rejected the offer at that time.
Although the plan to open an interests section in Tehran has not yet been confirmed by Washington, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she wished to see more Iranians visiting the US.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has not yet reacted to the plan, but Iranians were likely to welcome the opening of an interests section in Tehran as currently they have to go to neighbouring Dubai or Istanbul to apply for a visa and pay at least 1,000 dollars per trip.
Family reunions have in the meantime become more complicated as, according to the latest US regulations, Iranian applicants must first apply for a visa and then wait about eight weeks for a reply. If approved, another trip would be necessary to pick up the visa.
Millions of Iranians emigrated to the US following the 1979 Islamic revolution. Their children were born in the US, and most of them have in the meantime become US citizens. All of them, however, have relatives in Iran.
Diplomatic relations between Iran and the US were broken off after the 444-day occupation of the US embassy in Tehran in 1979 by radical Iranian students.
Since then, the two sides have viewed each other with hostility. Washington branded Tehran part of an 'axis of evil,' and a supporter of terrorism allegedly attempting to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran denies the accusations and terms the US the 'Great Satan' and an enemy of Islam and Muslims.
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Older Talkback
page: 1
The Irony of Heaven and Earth
I don't want to pull the trigger on Iran
but I will.
Let's US pray that Iran
will open it's nuclear facilities to the world
like every other country does...
Why can't you guys be open with US?
Let's the UN teams in to inspect these facilities.
I trust you
but I need to verify
(whether your lying to me or not).
You have to admit that
I've been mislead by more
then one country in the last few years.
So just give me some honesty here!
I don't want another war.
You say you don't want to build the A Bomb
but I think your telling me stories.
and all you've done is chant:
'Death to this one
or death to that one!'
What kind of a foriegn policy is that?
What am I suppose to believe here
when you talk to me like that?
I am going to take your words seriously.
I will defend myself from hostile intent.
So take my words seriously
be kind to the world
and let us all see the truth.
That's all we want
reveal the truth of your intentions.
The Prophet would want the whole truth
to be revealed to the world.
So I'm going to ask you
in the Name of the Most Holy Prophet
to please allow the UN inspectors back into
your country.
One day
I will visit Tehran, Iran
and hopefully
when that day comes
we will be close friends
as we were once before
instead of opposites
on different sides of the track.
This is a call for unity!
This call for Peace!
Why did the Lord
puts on these opposite sides?
I don't why?
(I ask myself that all the time.)
but He did...
Rice said recently that US wants to reach out to the Iranian people by making it easier for them to travel to the US. What a JOKE! As a Canadian Citizen (born in Iran) I get harrasshed (fingerprinted, questioned, photo taken) every time I want to cross the US border for visiting relatives or on business. To me this is a new kind of racism which is discrimination based on place of birth.
um, steve,
iran has opened its' facilities to the world. as a signatory to the
nonproliferation treaty, their nuclear sites are subject to inspection
by the iaea. the inspection teams are there.
unlike india, pakistan, israel, the united states, china, russia,
france, england.
page: 1
ooJun 26th, 2008 - 09:35:25
The US aviation organization did not reject the offer at that time as mentioned in the article.
It actually did not reply, which is representative of amateurism or arrogance of american institutions.
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