Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis    

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini. Iran has no immediate plan to normalize relations with the United States, Hosseini said. (Xinhua/Reuters file Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    TEHRAN, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iran has no immediate plan to normalize relations with the United States, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini told reporters during his weekly briefing on Sunday.

    "Due to continuation of hostile U.S. policies against Iran, Tehran has no program for normalizing ties with Washington and that is not in our agenda," Hosseini said.

    He apparently intended to clarify remarks by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who said on Thursday that he was willing to restore diplomatic relations with the United States but doing so now would endanger Iran's security.

    Khamenei was quoted by state media as telling a student group meeting in the central Iranian province of Yazd that now it's not the appropriate time to resume diplomatic ties with the United States since it cannot "benefit" Iranian people.

    "We have never said the ties between the two countries will be cut forever... but under the current conditions of the U.S. government, it's harmful to resume the relations and we should not do it," said Khamenei, who has the final say on all national matters in Iran.

    "The U.S. still hold its hostile (policy)... it (resuming ties)will endanger Iran's security and will not benefit the Iranian nation," he added.

    But the leader also said he was willing to improve relations with Washington at the right moment, saying "I will be the first one to support the ties if it is beneficial to the Iranian nation."

    Tehran and Washington broke up diplomatic ties since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution and the succedent hostage incident of U.S. embassy which was taken over by the Islamic students in 1980.

    Relations between the two long foes have deteriorated in the past two years due to Tehran's controversial nuclear program. The United States and some of its allies accused Iran of using a civilian cover to develop atomic weapons, but Iran denied all the accusations, saying it's nuclear plan was just for peaceful purposes.

    Under the push by the U.S. government, the UN Security Council is now discussing a third sanction resolution against Tehran's nuclear program in order to persuade Iran to suspend the sensitive uranium enrichment work.

    However, Iran has repeatedly vowed to continue its nuclear development in the framework of international regulations and termed the previous two UN sanctions as "worthless paper."

    The White House also slammed Tehran for its "intervention" in Iraqi affairs and accused it of supporting illegal insurgents to fight with U.S. forces in that war-torn country. Iran also denied the charges.