Iran attacks Blair over new job

Tony Blair was appointed Middle East envoy after leaving No 10 on Wednesday

Sunday, 01, Jul 2007 12:00

Iran's foreign ministry has slammed the decision to make Tony Blair a Middle East peace envoy.

Mr Blair was appointed by the quartet of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations after resigning as UK prime minister.

He will try to broker a deal for a two-state solution to end the bloody conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Mohammad Ali Hosseini, a foreign ministry spokesman for Tehran, said Mr Blair's support of Israel and decision to invade Iraq would hamper his efforts to bring peace to the region.

"He did not have a good background and a good reputation in the region," Mr Hosseini said.

"I doubt that this appointment would have a positive impact on the developments of the Middle East region," he told a news briefing.

Iran has joined Palestinian military group Hamas in criticising Mr Blair's new job claming he is not impartial after failing to order an immediate ceasefire in Israel's war with Lebanon last year.

US president George Bush, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah have welcomed Mr Blair's appointment.

Meanwhile, Iran welcomed the appointment of Gordon Brown as Mr Blair's successor as prime minister.

"We hope that in Britain's new Labour government, proper and unbiased decisions will be made in regard to regional and international developments," Mr Hosseini added.