Mr Mottaki said: 'Being a realist ... I have to say that I do not see room for the time being for the (establishment) of relations between the Iran and the United States.' -- PHOTO: REUTERS

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki also said on Friday that while it makes sense to talk with Washington over common interests such as Iraq, he could not imagine substantially improved ties with the United States even after a change in US administrations.

Mr Mottaki spoke to The Associated Press on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, the Davos gathering of world political and economic leaders, whose focus on areas of international concern include the Mideast, and thus at least indirectly tensions between Iran on the one side and the United States and Israel on the other.

Earlier in the week, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni urged Davos attendees to take a personal stand against Iran's leadership by ending business ties with the country.

'Iran exports terrorism, destabilises the region, denies the Holocaust and threatens to wipe Israel, my home, off the map,' said Mr Livni, referring to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's frequent calls for the elimination of Jewish state.

Mr Mottaki's call for an end to a Security Council role in trying to pressure Iran comes amid indications that the council is moving precisely in the other direction and is ready to pass a third round of sanctions for Teheran's refusal to mothball uranium enrichment and meet related demands.

New UN sanctions
Elements of a new UN resolution outlined new sanction proposals from six global powers against Iran, including bans on travel and the sale of equipment that could be used in its nuclear industry.

Along with Germany, the five permanent council members - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - also urged stepped up monitoring of Teheran's financial institutions.

The six countries offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June 2006 if it agreed to freeze uranium enrichment before talks on its nuclear program. But Iran has refused and defied two Security Council resolutions demanding suspension.

Asked what his message to the council was, Mr Mottaki said, 'it was time now to correct their previous mistakes' - involving itself in Teheran's nuclear program and passing the two sanctions resolutions.

At the minimum, said Mr Mottaki, the council should wait until the International Atomic Energy Agency completes its probe of Iran's past nuclear activities, at the latest in early March.

If that report shows no attempt by Iran to make nuclear weapons - as claimed by the US - council members 'should ... pass a new resolution' formally washing their hands of Iran's nuclear activities, he said.

The investigation of the Islamic Republic's former nuclear programme that started last year is in its final stage, with diplomats telling the AP that Teheran has started providing some information about activities that the Americans say appear to make sense only in the context of an attempt to develop nuclear weapons.

US intelligence estimate
A US intelligence estimate published last month said that Iran stopped efforts to make such arms four years ago. But American officials have demanded that Teheran 'confess' to such past attempts to make their cooperation with the IAEA probe credible. And Washington and its allies say that if Iran continues to develop its enrichment programme, a possible pathway to nuclear arms, even such an admission will not be enough to prevent further UN sanctions.

But Mr Mottaki said such a confession would not be forthcoming, asserting there was neither 'political will' nor 'any practical step for nuclear weapons in my country' even before 2003.

And he said he saw no room for improved relations between Teheran and Washington, even past the approaching change of US administrations. Formal bilateral ties were cut in the wake of the 1979 Iranian hostage taking of US Embassy personnel.

'Usually we do not look to the individuals in the United States or even to the (political) parties - we look to policies,' he said.

'Being a realist ... I have to say that I do not see room for the time being for the (establishment) of relations between the Iran and the United States,' he added, while acknowledging the sense of bilateral talks on the situation in Iraq.

Mr Mottaki evaded a direct answer when asked whether he supported Mr Ahmadinejad's call for Israel to be wiped off the map, but suggested that only those in 'Palestine' before Israel was established 60 years ago had a right to decide on the political makeup of the region.

Asked whether the Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas was empowered to negotiate a peace with Israel, he said it was not up to Iran to 'instruct the Palestinians' but suggested the rival Hamas, too, should be involved in any settlement. -- AP