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Iran paper rejects Israeli charge of violence

TEHRAN: An Iranian newspaper on Tuesday rejected accusations by Isreali Prime Minister Shimon Peres that Tehran was trying to topple his government and said Iran only opposed the Jewish state through legitimate channels.

Iran News, which supports the policies of President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said Iran would continue to oppose Israel for occupying Arab land and oppressing Palestinians but that its opposition "has never crossed the diplomatic channel".

"And this is the reason why both Israel and its guardian, the United States, could produce no evidence to support their claim that Iran is involved in terrorist activities," it said.

The editorial in the English-language newspaper was the first response in Iran to remarks by Peres published on Monday that Iran was out to topple his government.

Israel and the United States have accused Iran of backing Islamic militant attacks against Israel such as recent suicide bombings by the Hamas group which killed 58 people in Israel.

Iran News was also responding to Peres's charge that an Iranian ship loaded with explosives to be used against Jewish and Israeli targets had been intercepted by Belgian authorities in Antwerp.

Israel on Sunday also said it had arrested a Palestinian man, recruited by the Islamic Jihad in Turkey, who received military training in Iran.

"It looks like Israel, right or wrong, is trying to involve Iran in these activities only to divert its people's attention from domestic problems and the troubled peace process, to issues which in fact do not exist at all," Iran News said.-Reuter