Iran expresses rare sympathy for U.S. over attacks

Iranian leaders yesterday strongly condemned the terror attacks against the United States, in an unprecedented show of sympathy for their long-time enemy. "We condemn any act of terror and murder of innocent people. No Muslim can be pleased about such a human catastrophe," said Hassan Rowhani, a top security official.

"This incident showed that all governments should cooperate for a logical way to curb the spread of this ominous phenomenon in the world," Rowhani, a moderate conservative, told Iran's IRNA news agency.

In an unprecedented move on Tuesday, reformist President Mohammed Khatami stepped forward to personally denounce the attacks: "My deep sympathy goes out to the American nation, particularly those who have suffered from the attacks and also the families of the victims," he said.

No president since the 1979 Islamic revolution has ever before openly expressed sympathy for the United States, regarded by Iran as its arch-enemy. The about-face is apparently prompted by the magnitude of the tragedy and Iran's resolve to depart from its radical past and improve its image in the West.

The Islamic republic is on the U.S. State Department list of states supporting international terrorism, a charge Tehran has always denied. U.S. officials have implicated Iran in the 1996 Khobar bombing in Saudi Arabia which killed 19 American servicemen. Saudi Arabia and Iran deny any Iranian involvement.

"I think Khatami's message of condolence to American people over this human catastrophe will have a positive impact," Abbas Abdi, a leader of the militants who seized the U.S. embassy, told Iran's student news agency ISNA.

A host of reformist members of parliament and conservative figures also unconditionally condemned the attacks.

"This is by no means justified, regardless of who did it," said Mohsen Armin, a member of parliament's foreign affairs and national security committee.

He however urged Washington to show restraint and keep possible responses to the attacks within international norms.

But in a reminder of past hostilities, hardline Iranian newspapers said yesterday the United States was paying the price for its support of Israel.

The attacks "were the natural results of countless crimes which the United States, its Zionist masters, had carried out throughout the world," Kayhan daily said.