Gar-haye Posted May 13, 2008 NEWS MIDDLE EAST Ahmadinejad rejects Saudi charges Prince Saud al-Faisal accused Iran of backing Hezbollah[AFP] Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, has said that the comments by the Saudi foreign minister that Tehran interfered in the recent crisis in Lebanon are false and made in anger. Ahmadinejad was reacting on Tuesday to Prince Saud al-Faisal's comments that Iran's support for Hezbollah's 'coup' in Lebanon will affect Tehran's relations with Arab and Islamic nations. The Iranian president said that al-Faisal was not following the orders of Saudi King Abdullah with his remarks. "Iran is the only country not interfering in Lebanon," he told a news conference. Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia had blamed Iran for Hezbollah's routing of the Western-backed government supporters in Lebanon. Lebanon has suffered from almost a week of clashes between supporters of the Western-backed government and the opposition Hezbollah movement, backed by Iran and Syria. At least 54 people have died in the battles and scores more have been injured. Hezbollah has overpowered supporters of the government in Beirut and hills to the east. Nuclear 'proposals' Ahmadinejad also said that Iran will soon put forward new proposals to resolve its dispute with the West over its nuclear programme. "We have prepared a package which will soon be offered." However, he said that no incentives offered by the West would persuade Iran to abandon its right to develop its nuclear programme. Iran says that the programme is to create nuclear power, whereas the West fears that its real aim is to develop nuclear weapons. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
