CAIRO — An Iranian presidential candidate who is wanted by Interpol in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Argentina said Sunday he would be willing to cooperate with the U.S. on regional security matters if elected
Conservative candidate Mohsen Rezaei, speaking to reporters in Iran’s capital, also criticized hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his handling of the faltering economy and said his questioning of the Holocaust has "no benefit.”
Rezaei made no mention, however, of the Argentine bombing case, which he has never spoken about publicly.
He is not considered a strong challenger to Ahmadinejad in the June 12 vote. But if elected, Iran would have a president who could be shunned by other nations and whose travel would likely be limited due to Interpol’s decision to add him to its most wanted list.
Still, Rezaei, a moderate conservative, is positioning himself as a candidate aiming to reverse what he calls Ahmadinejad’s harmful foreign policy.
On Sunday Rezaei addressed the Obama administration’s efforts to engage Iran, saying his country should respond and test whether Washington is serious.
"We are ready to have interactions with foreign countries on preserving security, peace and tranquility in the region,” Rezaei said.
Rezaei said Iran should not wait for the U.S. to make the first move. He also hinted at a willingness to cooperate with the U.S. in Afghanistan, as Iran did before former President George W. Bush labeled the country part of an "axis of evil.”
by the associated press
Conservative candidate Mohsen Rezaei, speaking to reporters in Iran’s capital, also criticized hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his handling of the faltering economy and said his questioning of the Holocaust has "no benefit.”
Rezaei made no mention, however, of the Argentine bombing case, which he has never spoken about publicly.
He is not considered a strong challenger to Ahmadinejad in the June 12 vote. But if elected, Iran would have a president who could be shunned by other nations and whose travel would likely be limited due to Interpol’s decision to add him to its most wanted list.
Still, Rezaei, a moderate conservative, is positioning himself as a candidate aiming to reverse what he calls Ahmadinejad’s harmful foreign policy.
On Sunday Rezaei addressed the Obama administration’s efforts to engage Iran, saying his country should respond and test whether Washington is serious.
"We are ready to have interactions with foreign countries on preserving security, peace and tranquility in the region,” Rezaei said.
Rezaei said Iran should not wait for the U.S. to make the first move. He also hinted at a willingness to cooperate with the U.S. in Afghanistan, as Iran did before former President George W. Bush labeled the country part of an "axis of evil.”
by the associated press
