No Change in Tehran-Washington Ties Until Sanctions Lifted: KhatamiThere will be no change in the Tehran-Washington relations until the United States lifts sanctions against the Islamic Republic, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said at a press conference on Tuesday.Khatami, who swept to office by winning 70 percent of the popular votes in 1997, is running for a second term and is believed to be a shoo-in in the election on Friday. As part of his re- election campaign, he held the press conference to answer questions of Iranian and foreign reporters. There are no problems in the relations between the Iranian and American peoples, Khatami said. But as long as American politicians act under the influence of certain lobbies to uphold embargo against Iran, his government, if he is re-elected, would keep intact the policy towards the US, he underlined. He stressed that "the sanctions are obstacles, and we do not accept any preconditions. If anyone is to impose conditions, it should be us, who have been the victims of the oppressive policies of the United States." The Iranian president also called on American leaders to change their behavior and concentrate more on its own affairs than other nations' internal affairs. Iran and the U.S. severed relations in 1980 after the seizure by Muslim students of the U.S. embassy in Tehran and its staff following the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Washington, which accuses Iran of sponsoring international terrorism and seeking to sabotage the Middle East peace process, has imposed economic sanctions against Iran. |
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