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Blair-Rice talks focus on Iran

Hasan Suroor

"Military action over the nuclear dossier is inconceivable,'' Mr. Straw said

LONDON: The row over Iran's nuclear programme and British allegations that Teheran was behind some of the attacks on its troops in Iraq dominated talks between Prime Minister Tony Blair and the visiting U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held at Chequers.

A Downing Street spokesman said they discussed their "shared concern about the need for Iran to meet its international obligations" even as Foreign Secretary Jack Straw insisted that the two countries meant to use only diplomatic means to resolve the issue.

"Military action in respect of the nuclear dossier is inconceivable,'' Mr Straw said, claiming that it was "not on anybody's agenda''. The situation in Iraq against the backdrop of Saturday's referendum on the Iraqi Constitution also figured in the talks.

Britain again sought to link Iran to attacks on British soldiers in Iraq and Mr Straw told the BBC: "What we have presented to the Iranians is evidence, which in our judgement clearly links the improvised explosive devices which have been used against British and other troops mainly in the south of Iraq, to Hezbollah and Iran. "

The Iranian ambassador to Britain, Mohammad Hossein, strongly denied the allegation.

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