Iran to U.S. winner: Keep away
By CNN Correspondent Kasra Naji
TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's President Mohammad Khatami says he hopes the winner of the U.S. presidential election will not interfere in Iran's affairs.
Speaking to reporters hours before Americans headed to the polls Tuesday, he said he had no personal preference between Sen. John Kerry and U.S. President George W. Bush.
"But I hope whoever is the winner, either Bush or Kerry will act realistically and rationally in the long-term interest of the United States to reduce tension by not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries," Khatami said.
Most Iranian leaders and officials have shied away from commenting on the U.S. elections until now. But some believe a Bush victory may lead to greater tension in the Middle East and possibly a military attack against Iran, which Bush has branded as being a part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North Korea.
European negotiators have recently engaged in talks with Iranian representatives in an attempt to ease fears in the United States and Europe that Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran recently rejected proposals from European negotiators to indefinitely suspend its program in exchange for incentives.
During the talks in Vienna -- the headquarters of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- negotiators for Britain, Germany and France offered to supply nuclear fuel for Iran's planned power plants and enhance trade and political relations.
The proposals were a last-ditch effort before the next meeting of the IAEA board of governors scheduled for November 25.
Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency reported that the Iranian delegates told the Europeans that "restricting Iran's access to nuclear technology marks a red line for the country and it would not be acceptable at all."
