Indian official rejects reports about Iran

WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- India's foreign secretary rejected some news accounts that his country is building closer military ties with Iran, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Shiv Shankar Menon, who was in Washington for talks to speed up the U.S.-Indian civilian nuclear deal, expressed amazement over the accounts, which have created new concerns among some U.S. lawmakers about the nuclear agreement, which already is bogged down by other differences between the two countries.

The Post reported the weekly Defense News wrote in March the commander of Iran's navy had visited India to see if a joint working group should study whether India should train Iranian military personnel.

"I was quite amazed to see all those stories, quite frankly," Menon was quoted as saying. "I am not sure what they are based on, stories of military cooperation and so on."

The Indian official said his country and Iran set up a joint working group on defense in 2003 but "it hasn't met for many years," the report said.

Menon also was quoted as saying the Bush administration has not sought any assurances regarding India's military ties to Iran. "I am sure they know what's there. They haven't asked."