Mottaki belittles US, Israel anti-Iran efforts

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has downplayed US and Israeli efforts to persuade regional countries to join a US-led campaign against Iran.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoglu, on Tuesday, Mottaki deemphasized US-led concerted efforts to rally up support against Iran.

Mottaki advised the Obama administration to learn from mistakes committed by previous governments so that they could take “more appropriate measures.”

“The US record of performance in the region is rife with contradictions and inappropriate measures,” Mottaki said, noting that the US lacked a proper understanding of the conditions in the Middle East.

The top diplomat said that the US fingermark could be traced in any place where a war had broken out or a conflict emerged.

US Foreign Secretary of State Hillary Clinton headed to the Persian Gulf region to collect the support of the regional countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, against Iran.

In Riyadh, the former first lady failed to talk Saudi Arabia into joining the US front. Clinton asked Saudis to reassure China that they will meet any shortfall in Beijing’s oil needs if further UN sanctions are imposed on Iran.

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said Monday that Chinese officials “need no suggestion from Saudi Arabia to do what they ought to do” over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear activities.

“If we want security for the region, it requires an Iran at peace and happy with themselves,” the Saudi official added.

In line with US-led efforts against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also travelled to Moscow on Monday to meet officials in the Kremlin to discuss Iran’s nuclear issue, which Tel Aviv considers an “existential threat.”

The Iranian foreign minister, however, said that Israel’s anti-Iran campaign would get it nowhere.

“The Zionists cannot veil their hateful image in the region through such puppet show,” Mottaki said, reiterating that Israel was already accountable for its past record of activities.

The US has been lobbying for a fourth round of UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, a demand which has not so far received a warm welcome by China, a veto-wielding member of the UNSC.

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), says its nuclear work is totally peaceful and within the framework of the NPT.

Tehran has repeatedly assured its neighbors in particular Arab Persian Gulf countries that its nuclear work is peaceful and would pose no threat to them.

After years of extensive inspections, the UN nuclear agency has not found any evidence that can be used to support US claims against Iran.