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¡¡¡¡TEHRAN, Aug. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said on Saturday Iran would not adopt a neutral stance on apossible US attack on Iraq, the official IRNA news agency reported.

¡¡¡¡Responding to speculations that Iran will not take side in the Iraq issue, Kharazi said "interpreting Iran's stance over the current Iraqi crisis as neutral is unreal and contradicts Iran's clear and official position on the matter."

¡¡¡¡He said Iran has announced its opposition to US unilateral action and considers any military action against Iraq as "totally rejected."

¡¡¡¡Kharazi stressed that many countries agree with Iran on this realistic stance which is based on the interests of the international society.

¡¡¡¡It is up to the Iraqi people to determine their own fate, Kharazi said, adding that "nobody else has the right to decide on their behalf."

¡¡¡¡Meanwhile, the Iranian minister said other countries as well as Iraq's neighbors must encourage Baghdad to respect UN resolutions so that the pretext for an invasion against it and the ground for creating tensions and insecurity in the region no longer exist.

¡¡¡¡Iraq has been reluctant to allow UN arms inspectors to return, alleging that the United States wanted the United Nations to updateintelligence to help its attempt to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Enditem

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