Iran: No Pakistani crowd behind borders

Iran has rejected reports that the survivors of Pakistan’s devastating floods have thronged behind Iran’s borders, trying to enter the country.

“We have not received any news concerning the surge of flood-hit people of Pakistan to Iran’s borders and the security officials of the Interior Ministry have not confirmed the case whatsoever,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told a Press TV reporter at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

He, however, urged all countries as well as Muslims to spare no efforts to assist the flood-ravaged people of Pakistan, adding that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s plan to visit the flood-hit country is on the agenda.

Commenting on Iran’s upcoming meeting with the 5+1 group (the US, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany), Mehmanparast reiterated that the meeting will be held in due time under the condition that Iran’s prerequisites are observed.

He also noted that the construction of new research reactors is a long-term program and that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran has the plans on the agenda.

“We announced that we have long-term programs for the construction of new nuclear sites and all our nuclear activities are peaceful and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) inspectors,” Mehmanparast further explained.

The Iranian foreign ministry spokesman also snubbed statements of former US Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton — who had urged a military offensive against Iran’s nuclear facilities — as rhetoric to stop Tehran’s nuclear program.

“John Bolton’s remarks leave no room for discussion,” Mehmanparast concluded.