Iran warns US not to interfere in its affairs

Tehran yesterday told Washington to stay out of its internal affairs as US policymakers prepared to discuss whether to take a tougher stance on Iran aimed at destabilising its clerical establishment.

Washington has stepped up its criticism of Iran in recent days, accusing the Islamic Republic of harbouring senior al Qaeda members and developing a secret nuclear weapons programme. Iran denies the charges.

"We hope that wisdom and logic dominates the Americans' debates and they refrain from carrying out any interference in our affairs," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.

"Iran has always defended its interests with full power and will continue to do so. It won't hesitate even for a fraction of a moment to defend itself," he told Reuters without elaborating.

Washington's increasingly-hostile rhetoric has alarmed Iran's clerical leaders, already unnerved by the presence of US troops across its borders with Afghanistan and Iraq.

Washington broke ties with Tehran shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution and US President George W. Bush last year placed Iran in an "axis of evil" alongside Iraq and North Korea.

"The message Iran is hearing from Washington is: 'We're out to get you'," said a local analyst, who declined to be named.

The Washington Post on Sunday reported that the White House was due to consider yesterday a Pentagon-backed proposal to destabilise Iran's clerical rulers through popular uprisings.

It was not known what actions the Pentagon was proposing although some US official have suggested Washington could provide backing for exiled opposition groups such as the Iraq-based People's Mujahideen militia and Reza Pahlavi, eldest son of Iran's late shah.

But diplomats in Tehran caution that the exiles enjoy little support among Iranians and that while discontent with clerical rule is strong, public protests are kept firmly in check.