Iranian President, Mohamad Khatami, has accused "a small, but influential group in the United States (of) threatening the world with war."
Khatami was speaking on Wednesday during a tour of a northern province bordering the Caspian Sea, the official IRNA news agency said on Thursday.
"We are not so selfish as to accuse all the American nation of being evil. However there is a small, but influential group in the United States that is threatening the world with war through their violent and war-mongering policies," IRNA quoted the president as saying.
"We have a national, religious and humanitarian duty to defend our country and we will not surrender to any aggressor," Khatami said.
Also on Wednesday Khatami warned against foreign threats while calling on the military forces to keep "vigilant and quite ready" to counter any foreign attack or threat.
The forces should be vigilant to defend the national goals, values, honor and interests all the time, the president conveyed during an address to the military graduates in the Imam Khomeini Maritime Sciences University of Nowshahr.
Several high-ranking Iranian military and political officials were also present at the gathering.
In a world inundated with threat and violence by warmongers, there is no room for rest and thus one has to keep vigilant and ready to counter the dangers. Iranian forces would be ready to defend their territorial integrity, independence and honor of the nation, he added, according to IRNA.
The Islamic Republic does not accuse other states of forming an “axis of evil”, the President said, referring to U.S. President George W. Bush’s description of Iran in his January State of the Union address.
Iran called upon all states to take part in a coalition for peace, the Iranian president stated.
Khatami accused Washington of trying to impose its expansionist policies under the pretext of the fight on terrorism following the September 11 attacks. (Albawaba.com)
