UK Foreign Secretary
Jack Straw has said it is "inconceivable" that
America would try to bomb Iran.
There has been speculation about whether the newly re-elected
George Bush will be more hawkish over Iran. Pointing
to talks with Tehran, Mr Straw said: "I don't see
any circumstances in which military action would be justified
against Iran, full stop."
Mr Straw said President Bush's re-election
gave the world the chance to make new progress on Middle
East peace.
No more war?
After months of talks, Iranian president
Mohammad Khatami this week said Iran was ready to pledge
not to pursue nuclear weapons.
But he wants recognition of Iran's right
to peaceful nuclear technology.
Asked if it was inconceivable that the
world would support US military action against Iran, presumably
bombings or using Israel as a "proxy", Mr Straw
replied: "Not only is that inconceivable but I think
the prospect of it happening is inconceivable."
He told that the US had been
part of the consensus on pursuing the negotiations with
Tehran and there was no reason to think that would change.
The chances of another conflict in the wake of the Iraq
war "pretty remote", he said.
"I don't think, please God, that we are going to
see in the next four years the most cataclysmic event
for international relations that we have seen in 60 years
which occurred on 11 September 2001," he said.
He believed the international divisions which had followed
the terror attacks could be healed.
'Chance for progress'
Mr Straw said everybody should recognise that America
had come to a "very clear democratic result"
in re-electing President Bush, and try to work with the
US.
"It is actually a moment of opportunity for the
democratic world to come together and to work on items
and issues, particularly the Middle East, on which we
have seen frustratingly small progress in recent years,"
he argued.
Mr Straw said Foreign Office officials were continuing
to examine the accuracy of The Lancet medical journal's
estimates that the Iraq war has led to 100,000 extra deaths.
Estimates of casualties varied greatly, he said, with groups
such as Iraq Body Count suggesting about 15,000 civilians
had been killed by military intervention in Iraq.
Critics of the war are particularly concerned about the
prospect of a major assault on Falluja by the US-led force
in Iraq.
Mr Straw said the Iraqi interim government was seeking
a political solution to the problems in the insurgent-held
city.
But it was necessary to tackle the "nest of terrorists"
in the area, just as had happened in Afghanistan to pave
the way for democratic elections, he added.
Blair congratulations
In the US polls, Democratic challenger John Kerry conceded
defeat on Wednesday evening and in his victory speech
President Bush said he wanted to reach out to all Americans.
Tony Blair has spoken to both President Bush and Senator
Kerry.
The prime minister said he looked forward to continuing
his strong relationship with the president during his
second term in the White House.
The international community had to be brought together,
said Mr Blair, stressing the need for action on poverty,
the Middle East and the conditions exploited by terrorists.
It was a message he repeated at Thursday's Cabinet meeting
and he will discuss the election result with European
leaders when he flies to a summit in Brussels later in
the day.
His spokesman said: "The prime minister
does believe we need to use this as an opportunity to
rebuild the relationship across the Atlantic."
