Salehi: Syrians should choose leader in 2014 vote

The Syrian people should be left to choose their leader in elections due in 2014 and until then countries should avoid aggravating the bloodshed by interfering on the ground, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said on Monday.    
 
"No ruler is an eternal ruler, so in the case of Mr Bashar al-Assad, by 2014 there are presidential elections in which we will have to let the events take their normal course," Salehi said in an interview with Reuters in Abu Dhabi.        

Backing Assad's assertion that he is battling foreign-armed "terrorists", Salehi said a "good portion" of the rebels were from extremist militant groups.    

"Now there are a lot of weapons being smuggled into Syria. Many people from different countries are pouring into Syria and raising arms against the government. This aggravates the situation," Salehi said.    

"My message to all countries that can play a role in this regard is to be very prudent and wise not to worsen the situation," said the softly spoken Iraqi-born foreign minister.      

HORMUZ CLOSURE, NUCLEAR TALKS    

"Probably those who have suggested this idea have in mind that if Iran is denied access to the Persian Gulf for whatever reason ... then Iran will probably react appropriately," he said.               

He said that if Iran's needs for fuel for several planned reactors producing medical isotopes were fully met, then it would be ready to discuss halting high-grade enrichment.    

He denied accusations that Iran's Parchin military site had been cleansed of atomic material caused by nuclear explosives tests - covering up illicit experiments aimed at developing nuclear bombs.   

REUTERS