TEHRAN, Dec. 18--Iranian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed outrage at the Israeli regime’s continuing crimes against the defenseless Palestinians in Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Israeli planes carried out four air raids on Gaza Strip and the West Bank in less than 24 hours, killing 13 Palestinians overnight and early Tuesday, IRNA reported.
Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Israel has imposed economic restrictions on people living in Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and assassinated Palestinian activists and civilians in Gaza City following the so-called peace talks in Annapolis.
“Unfortunately, the US and western countries have remained silent on the massacre of innocent Palestinians and the collective punishment of people living in Gaza,“ he said.
Hosseini called on the Organization of Islamic Conference and other international organizations to stop the Israeli regime’s inhuman crimes and help protect the Palestinian people.

DUBAI, UAE, Dec. 18--Iranian Embassy in Qatar on Tuesday termed as ’inappropriate’ recent remarks by the head of Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) about the three Iranian islands.
Appearing in a monthly program broadcast on Qatar TV Saturday night, PGCC’s Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah claimed that the council member-states would not enhance cooperation with Iran without reaching a settlement on the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf waters, namely the Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Mousa.
Reacting to Attiyah’s comments a copy of which was sent to IRNA’s office in Dubai, the Iranian Embassy said his remarks were “inappropriate and far from the atmosphere and outcomes of the latest PGCC summit“ recently held in Doha with the participation of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
“The remarks were also against the proposals presented to the summit by President Ahmadinejad,“ the embassy noted.

ARAFAT DESERT, Saudi Arabia,
Dec. 18--Leader’s representative for Hajj affairs, Mohammad Mohammadi Reyshahri, said Iran and Saudi Arabia enjoy good and growing relations.
Reyshahri told IRNA on Tuesday that the expansion of Tehran-Riyadh relations is in line with forging solidarity and unity among Muslim countries.
“The two friendly nations are increasing their cooperation and the current visit by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Saudi Arabia would serve to further strengthen relations between the two countries,“ he said.
President Ahmadinejad, accompanied by a delegation, is currently performing Haj at the invitation of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz.

Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Dec. 18--A top Iraqi politician said Iran has called for a timetable of negotiations with the US on Iraq’s security issues.
Speaking to reporters, Abdul-Aziz Al-Hakim, who heads the Supreme Islamic Iraq Council, also said on Tuesday the Iranian delegation, which arrived in Baghdad on Saturday, has reflected Iran’s views on the trilateral talks involving Tehran, Washington and Iraq to the Iraqi officials, IRNA reported.
“Iran intends to promote Iraq’s role in negotiations,“ he said, adding that Iraq expects more achievements from these talks.
The senior Iraqi official expressed hope that the fourth round of talks will be more successful and solve the security problems of the country.
Asked whether negotiations have ended in deadlock, Hakim noted that there is no deadlock and the delay in the fourth round of talks is due to technical problems.
“We believe that negotiations will have positive results for Iraq and its security, therefore we want them to continue,“ he said.

TEHRAN, Dec. 18--Members of Justice Advocacy Group comprising families who fell victim to the terrorist Mujahideen Khalq Organization met with members of European Parliament in Tehran to remind them of the human tragedy perpetrated by MKO.
Families of Sepehri, Sobhani and Rezaei, victims of MKO terrorist assassination, told the MEPs led by Angelika Beer that their loved ones were assassinated in the 1980s simply for supporting the government and having faith in God, IRNA reported.
They called on the European delegation not to allow western warmongers to classify terrorism as good and bad, or provide MKO with an opportunity to repeat its terrorist operations.
“If the MKO, which embarked on terrorism as its tactic, strategy and ideology, is used as tools, rest assured that they would use this opportunity to launch terrorist operations against the European citizens too, because terrorism is the innate nature of the group,“ a member of one of the families said.
Beer and Baroness Nicholson sympathized with the families of the MKO victims and said the European Union listed MKO as terrorist because of its practices.
The Justice Advocacy Group briefed the MEPs on the goals of the non-governmental organization (NGO) saying that the group advocates justice and fights violence.
Member of European Parliament from Spain, Callie, said Spain has fallen victim to terrorism and knows it well.
“We share the same sufferings,“ he said.
The Justice Advocacy Group delivered documents to the MEPs, which put the number of families that fell victim to MKO’s terrorism at 16,000, noting that over 80 percent of those assassinated were civilians.
Italy’s member of the European Parliament asked whether those remaining from MKO at Ashraf camp are dangerous.
The spokesman for the Justice Advocacy Group responded that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein sheltered them to use them against Iran whenever he wanted.
“Of course, they are dangerous, because they were under Saddam’s protection,“ he said.