Iraq’s election a victory for Iran, says Rafsanjani:

By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran

12/16/05 "FT" -- -- Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s influential former president, on Friday called Iraq’s parliamentary elections a “victory” for Iran and said the vote had shattered any US expansionist ambitions in the Middle East.

He also criticised Washington for refusing to give Tehran a role in its Iraq policy.

“The election was a victory won by the Iraqi nation, which we share with them, because we paid a price for its preparation - since the Iran-Iraq war [1980-1988] and the Ba’athist regime,” Mr Rafsanjani told Friday worshippers at Tehran University campus. “Although Iraq has still a difficult future ahead, the trend is on the right track.”

The US accuses Iran of misusing its influence and fuelling the insurgency to destabilise Iraq. Iran denies such charges and argues that stability in Iraq is in line with its national interests.

Mr Rafsanjani is known as a pragmatic conservative who favours strategic co-operation with the US in the region. “It could be to the US’s benefit not to ignore Iran’s role; instead, they were hostile wherever they could be,” Mr Rafsanjani said.

© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2005

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