Iranian speaker supports Khamenei on US links

The speaker of the Iranian parliament, Ali Akbar Nateq-Nuri, has expressed his support for comments made yesterday by Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who rejected the idea of strengthening relations with the United States.

Mr Nateq-Nuri told the Iranian parliament that Ayatollah Khamenei had removed any doubt about the correct way forward for Iran.

But Mr Nateq-Nuri also praised remarks made by President Khatami on American television in which the President spoke of his desire for dialogue between the American and Iranian peoples.

Correspondents say Mr Nateq-Nuri's conciliatory remarks towards President Khatami appear to be an attempt to conceal differences within the Iranian leadership.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service