"That a former Iranian diplomat or an Iranian citizen is treated like this on a baseless premise is regrettable and unacceptable," President Khatami said in an address at Imam Khomeini's Mausoleum. The British Police arrested Iran's former ambassador to Argentina Hadi Soleimanpour for his alleged involvement in a 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires that left 85 killed and hundreds wounded. Zionist sources based in Buenos Aires claim that Soleimanpour was among those wanted for this bombing.

Judge Juan Jose Galeano, who is presiding over the case, last week issued arrest warrants for eight Iranians for their alleged involvement in the incident. The Islamic Republic has strongly rejected the charges, stressing that Buenos Aires has under Zionist pressure to issue the verdicts. Khatami said the arrest had been politically motivated and that the Foreign Ministry will follow up the case. He called on the British Government to retract and apologize to Iran

Majlis Speaker Mahdi Karrubi too said yesterday that Soleimanpour's arrest in London is a politically-motivated action and a new plot against Tehran aiming to distort the image of the Islamic Republic and exert pressure on it. Iran's Foreign Ministry must take all necessary measures to secure the release of its former envoy.

Argentine Chargé d'Affaires Ernesto Alvarez and British Chargé d'Affaires in Tehran Matthew Gould were summoned to Foreign Ministry on Saturday to be informed of Tehran's strong protest re the arrest. British Chargé d'Affaires Mathew Gould was summoned to the Foreign Ministry again yesterday, as the British ambassador to Tehran was not available. Foreign Ministry Director General for Western Europe Ebrahim Rahimpour called on Gould to brief him on the measures taken to release Soleimanpour. Gould outlined the related judicial proceedings in his country and said British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will inform his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi of the latest situation concerning the detained ex-diplomat.

Defense Agency Director-General Shigeru Ishiba said in a talk show on the private Asahi network that Japan should go ahead with a multi-billion dollar deal to develop a big oil field in Iran even though the United States opposes it due to Tehran's nuclear program. He thinks that abandoning negotiations with Iran because of America's opposition would not promote Japan's national interest, as Japan needs to diversify its sources of oil and has good diplomatic ties with Iran.

A Japanese consortium has been negotiating with Iran over the development of the massive Azadegan oil field, situated in the southwest of the Islamic republic. Washington, which baselessly accuses Tehran of using an atomic energy program as a cover for the secret development of nuclear weapons, is opposed to the planned Japanese investment.