BAKU, April 20 (RIA Novosti) - Iran's defense minister said Thursday it had never sought mediators in relations with the United States, but expressed hope that Azerbaijan's leader might convince Washington to think twice about its stance on Tehran.
U.S. President George W. Bush has refused to rule out a military attack on Iran if it continues to defy international concerns over its nuclear program.
Iran's Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najar, currently in Azerbaijan, said in relation to the forthcoming visit to the United States of Azerbaijan's leader Ilham Aliyev: "The Azerbaijani president will probably discuss a wide range of issues, including regional problems, but we have never looked for anyone's mediation services," Najar said.
He said he hoped Aliyev "would be able to explain to Americans the need to seriously consider their position on Iran."
The minister said the Islamic Republic had never been concerned about U.S. attempts to put pressure on Iran.
"Iran is continuing to build normal relations with all countries and is ready to resolve the [nuclear] issues by means of negotiations," he added.
Intensive diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to stop uranium enrichment activities have not produced significant results so far. "All options are on the table," Bush said earlier this week, adding that a diplomatic solution would be preferable.
