And he made clear that if the Islamic republic wants better relations, it must turn over any followers of Osama bin Laden it has in custody, abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons and embrace democratic political reform.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami has stressed that any US humanitarian help, while welcome, was not indicative of warming diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi on Thursday hailed the easing of sanctions as "positive" but said that only their total lifting would create a new climate between Tehran and Washington.
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