0 Persons
17 January 2012 - 14:04

Former Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati commented on the letter the US President Barack Obama sent to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and stated the letter has nothing new to say.

According to Khabar Online correspondent, on the sidelines of the congress, Iran's Principlist Women, Velayati the international relations advisor of Ayatollah Khamenei said the Islamic Republic officials will decide whether to respond to the letter or not.
 
Obama's letter focuses on the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial oil shipping waterway in Persian Gulf by Iran, saying that the US regards such move as a red line.
 
The Islamic Republic has warned that if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports on pretext of Iran's nuclear program, it will close the Strait of Hormuz. The action if taken, would seriously endanger the oil exports of the countries in the region which are the allies of the US in the Middle East.
 
On putting an embargo on Iranian oil exports, Velayati pointed out: "Oil is not a kind of good one could put an embargo on it, no matter from where it is exported."
 
"The Islamic Republic of Iran can easily sell its crude, as a matter of fact the demand for Iranian crude is more than what we are currently producing," he added.
 
Elsewhere in his remarks, Velayati who is the speaker of United Front of Principlism suggested that the front has not set any condition for the nominees to ban them from being introduced as the candidates of other Principlist factions and run for the upcoming Majlis (parliament) election.
 
"We have not set any condition and whoever has said so, has simply expressed his own opinion," he stressed.
 
"Actually we are trying to bridge the gap between the Principlists and focus on their common views. Although some may propose different opinions, we should increase the list of candidates to be more successful in the Majlis election," Velayati added.
 
More than 4500 nominees have registered for the Majlis election. The poll is scheduled to be held on March 2, 2012.
 
Earlier President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had appointed a three-member committee to foster unity among the Principalists in a run-up to the Majlis election and Velayati was a member of the committee.
 
However the Principalists have warned what’s calledthe "deviant current" is running for taking seats in the Majlis election.
 
 They believe the current is led by Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei, the controversial top adviser and the right-hand man of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has been accused of attempting to reduce the central role of jurisprudents (Foqaha) in the political scene of Iran.
 281
News ID 181390