Iran says ready for defence cooperation with Egypt, Libya
October 30th, 2011 - 1:05 am ICT by IANSTehran, Oct 29 (IANS) Iran is ready to initiate defense cooperation with Egypt and Libya, Iran’s defence minister said Saturday.
“Iran is ready to initiate cooperation, but they (Egypt and Libya) should also call for it,” Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said, reported Xinhua citing the Mehr news agency.
He said that Egypt and Libya are currently in transitional period, but there will be no problem for Iran to start cooperation with them in all areas including defence.
Commenting on the US accusations that Iranian government was involved in a plot to assassinate Saudi Arabian ambassador to Washington, Vahidi said it is an old policy which repeatedly takes new shapes trying to put pressure on the Islamic republic.
Vahidi also criticized the European Union(EU) for following US policies towards Iran. The EU’s support and imposition of more sanctions against Iran, is another link in the chain of the West’s actions against Iran, he said.
The US said on Oct 11 that Manssor Arbabsayara, a 56-year-old US citizen holding both Iranian and US passports, and Gholam Shakuri, a member of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC), were charged with sponsoring and promoting terrorist activities abroad, including a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States.
Arbabsayara was arrested by US authorities, while Shakuri remains in Iran.
The high-profile accusations have brought fresh tensions to relations between the two arch-foes, with Iran fiercely denying such charges.
- Hand over murder plot suspect: US to Iran - Oct 18, 2011
- Iran does not need assassinations: Ahmadinejad - Oct 16, 2011
- Iran rejects US claims over assassination plot - Oct 13, 2011
- No 'direct contact' with US : Iran - Oct 15, 2011
- Iran summons Swiss diplomat over US assassination charge - Oct 12, 2011
- Iranian leader says alleged assassination plot 'absurd' - Oct 16, 2011
- Iran to respond 'strongly' to any 'destructive' US act - Oct 16, 2011
- Obama calls Saudi envoy on assassination attempt - Oct 12, 2011
- Clinton to hold Iran accountable for Saudi envoy plot - Oct 13, 2011
- US sanctions five men linked to kill Saudi envoy (Lead) - Oct 12, 2011
- US charges two men for planning to kill Saudi envoy - Oct 12, 2011
- Obama vows to apply toughest sanctions on Iran - Oct 14, 2011
- India abstains from Saudi-sponsored resolution aimed at Iran - Nov 19, 2011
- Iran plans to sell more arms to 'friendly' states - Mar 11, 2012
- US poised to pressure Iran over plot to kill Saudi envoy - Oct 12, 2011
Tags: brigadier general, defence cooperation, defence minister, defense cooperation, gholam, imposition, iranian government, iranian revolutionary guard, iranian revolutionary guard corps, irgc, mehr news agency, new shapes, oct 11, passports, sanctions against iran, saudi ambassador, saudi arabian, terrorist activities, transitional period, xinhua