Tehran, Nov 17 : A prehistoric burial ground has been discovered near the Iranian city of Sanandaj, which dates back to 3,000 years.

Sanandaj is located in the western Kurdistan Province of Iran.

According to a report by the FARS News Agency, the 3,000 year-old cemetery was found during a road construction project, that is located 500 meters from the previously found ancient mound of Zagros.

Kurdistan’s provincial cultural heritage office confirmed that so far five squat burials have been found in the cemetery along with spears, bronze bracelets and earthenware.

Tehran - Tehran remained noncommittal on the just-concluded Iraqi security pact with the United States and said Monday that it would delay commenting until after the pact was approved by the Iraqi parliament.

The Iraqi cabinet on Sunday approved the final version of a security pact with the United States.

Iran has several times voiced its opposition to the security pact and called on the US to withdraw its forces from Iraq and allow the Iraqi government to take care of state affairs.

Tehran - Iran has condemned Thursday's kidnapping of an Iranian diplomat in north-western Pakistan, ISNA news agency reported.

"This has been a terrorist act which we harshly condemn," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashgavi said.

Gunmen ambushed a car carrying commercial attache Hashmat Atharzadeh and seized the diplomat who was travelling to the Iranian consulate in Peshawar, the capital of the troubled North West Frontier Province.

Police in Pakistan said the kidnappers intercepted the vehicle in the upscale Hayatabad neighbourhood and shot dead a police guard.

Dhabi, Nov. 13, 2008 -- Two major UAE English dailies today commented on the latest development in the tense relations between the United States and Iran on the latter's nuclear programme in the light of the latest IAEA statement that documents alleging that Iran has a nuclear weapons programme may have been fabricated, and the rapprochement step taken by Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to congratulate the US President-elect, Barack Obama, which provided a historic opportunity for improving US-Iran relations.

Islamabad - Gunmen on Thursday ambushed a car carrying an Iranian diplomat in north-western Pakistan and kidnapped the official after killing his guard, police and media reports said.

The diplomat was seized when he was travelling to the Iranian consulate in Peshawar, the capital of the troubled North West Frontier Province.

A police officer said the kidnappers intercepted the vehicle in the upscale Hayatabad neighbourhood and shot dead a police guard before whisking the official and his driver away.

Tehran - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday that US president-elect Barack Obama should change the American approach towards nations in general and Iran in particular.

"The (Obama slogan of) change should not just be superficial. What is important is change in approach towards nations," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in Sari, northern Iran, carried by the Khabar news network.

Ahmadinejad was the first Iranian president since the 1979 Islamic revolution to send a congratulation message to his American counterpart on his success in the presidential race.