Iran denied a press report stating that Kamal Kharrazi, the country's foreign minister, and his German counterpart Joschka Fischer discussed a U.S. plan for a coup in Iraq. The newspaper Etemad reported yesterday that Joschka Fischer informed Kharrazi during a phone conversation about the U.S. plan for a coup in Iraq. The official Iranian news agency reported today that the foreign ministers of Iran and Germany discussed the issue of Iraq during their conversation, but the topic of overthrowing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was not raised. Germany also denied discussing such a plan. The United States has threatened that if Baghdad does not comply with the UN resolutions regarding the disclosure and destruction of its weapons of mass destruction, it may face military action. U.S. officials have also publicly stated that they support regime change in Iraq.
Iran Denies Phone Conversation Between Kamal Kharrazi and Joschka Fischer Regarding a U.S. Coup Plan in Iraq - 2003-01-03
Iran has denied a report about a phone conversation between its foreign minister Kamal Kharrazi and German foreign minister Joschka Fischer regarding a U.S. coup plan in Iraq. This denial comes amid rising tensions as the U.S. threatens military action against Iraq for non-compliance with UN resolutions.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Iran denied a report claiming that Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi discussed a U.S. coup plan in Iraq with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. Both Iran and Germany refuted the claims, emphasizing that their conversation did not include discussions of regime change in Iraq.
- The conversation between Kharrazi and Fischer was reported by Etemad but denied by both parties.
- The U.S. had been threatening military action against Iraq for non-compliance with UN resolutions.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
In the early 2000s, the U.S. was actively pursuing regime change in Iraq, which heightened tensions with Iran, a neighboring country with its own interests in Iraq's political landscape.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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