Iranian pol warns Arabs not to interfere

TEHRAN, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- The speaker of the Iranian Parliament warned the governments of Arab countries Friday to stay out of the issue of his country's nuclear enrichment program.

"Arab countries should not tarnish their images by interfering in Tehran's nuclear program," Speaker Ali Larijani said on Iran's Press TV.

Representatives of several Arab countries met on Dec. 16 with representatives of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after the meeting that many of the Arab countries are nervous about a possibly nuclear-armed Iraq.

Sheik Khalid Bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, the foreign minister of Bahrain, said Thursday that most Arab countries support Iran's efforts to develop peaceful nuclear power.

"We are not targeting Iran. Iran is part of the region," Khalifa said at a news conference with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki.