Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-06-10

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Iranian envoy on Gaza incident, UN sanction

[01] Iranian envoy on Gaza incident, UN sanction

Moreover, Amb. Mehdi Honardoost said the imposition of the sanctions -- passed by a vote of 12 to two and one abstention -- was more-or-less expected, "because we are not close to the United States and other countries. If this (nuclear issue) was solved, then some other one (issue) would be created".

He also said it was a "very simplistic belief" to consider that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons, "as the confrontation (in the Middle East) would result in extreme tension."

Turning to the interception by the Israeli navy of a six-vessel flotilla heading to Gaza last month, an incident that left nine activists dead on the lead ship, he flatly rejected criticism that the Islamic Republic's support for Hamas-administered Gaza provides Israel with a pretense to enforce its blockade on the densely populated sliver of land sandwiched between the Mediterranean, Egypt and Israel.

"Iran will continue to support Hamas and the Palestinian people, as we have done for the past 30 years, this is not something new," he said, echoing statements from Tehran that Iranian ships and volunteers may also attempt to breach the blockade.

"...It will not be via the same route," Honardoost clarified.

The Iranian envoy also brushed aside any concerns of a future conflict with Israel -- which he lambasted as an illegal state allowed to run roughshod over international law and rules -- saying that the Jewish state "is not capable of starting a war" with a much larger, more populous and resource-rich Iran.

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