Tehran - Iran on Monday said that the launching of its satellite carrier was a scientific rather than military project, official news agency IRNA reported.

"The enemies of Iran are trying to distort Iran's scientific achievements and portray them as a military issue," Defence Minister Mostafa-Mohammad Najar was quoted by IRNA as saying.

Tehran- Iranian Vice-President Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaei has been summoned by parliament for having made pro-Israeli comments, ISNA news agency reported Tuesday.

The cultural commission of the parliament has called for a special session on Wednesday with Rahim-Mashaei for him to reply to "questions, ambiguities and criticism" by the deputies over the comments.

The vice-president, who is in charge of cultural heritage and tourism, said that Iran would be friends with both the Israeli and American people despite political problems with the two countries. He emphasized this position again on Monday.

Tehran - Iran and the European Union on Monday reiterated their willingness to resume talks on the dispute over Iran's controversial nuclear programmes, ISNA news agency reported.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeid Jalili and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana agreed in a phone contact to continue what Iran called "talks in a constructive atmosphere," ISNA reported.

According to Tehran media, the two had voiced the same willingness in a phone call last Monday.

Tehran - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Saturday that Iran should not be afraid of political challenges, Western ballyhoos or dangers.

"Political challenges are natural and just reflect the forward trend of our Islamic system," the Ayatollah told foreign ministry officials, including Iranian diplomats abroad.

"We should therefore not be afraid of ballyhoos by the West and dangers, the foreign ministry should act with both courage and wisdom," said Khamenei, who according to the Iranian constitution has the final say on all state matters.

Tehran  - Two-day talks between Iran and the United Nations nuclear watchdog ended Friday in Tehran, ISNA news agency reported.

The chief inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Oli Heinonen, and the head of the Iranian Atomic Organization Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh and his deputy Mohammad Saeidi discussed on Thursday and Friday the remaining ambiguities over Tehran's nuclear projects and the course of future cooperation.

Tehran  - Iran's Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi Thursday condemned what she called a smear campaign against her daughter by an official news agency.

The official news agency IRNA quoted an unnamed source as saying Ebadi's daughter last year converted to the illegal Bahai religion.

Unlike Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism, Bahaism, which was founded in 19th-century Persia, is not recognized or allowed to be practiced in Iran.

Religious conversion in Iran, especially to the Bahai faith, is regarded not only a big sin but also a capital crime and offenders, in line with Islamic laws, could face the death sentence.