Tehran, Mar 24: Iranian foreign minister Kamal Kharazi has said US or Iraqi missiles hitting Iranian territory was a "natural" consequence of the war in Iraq. "Taking into account that we are neighbours of Iraq and the activities of belligerent forces throughout Iraq, it is natural that a rocket or missile comes towards US," Kharaz told state television late yesterday.
"Of course, we have strongly protested, and they have promised to respect our airspace.
Iran's interior ministry has said that, since Friday, three US missiles had hit the southern region of Abadan, and that an Iraqi missile had hit Sardasht in the western Kurdistan province.
Kharazi said Iran was examining the type of the rockets.
"We protested to the British and American forces, and we will obtain more precise information to register our protest officially", he said. "They should take into account" the documents and evidences Iran will show them.
Speaking of the Iraqi rocket, he said it "fortunately did not work" and that Iraqi officials had said "they did not intend to violate Iran's airspace and it was only accidental."
Tehran, neutral in the war to depose Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, warned today that its army would "react" if there were violations of its airspace by US and British warplanes.
"Our soldiers on the border are on full alert ... if they observe the slightest violation of Iranian airspace or at the border they will certainly react," said interior minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari. Bureau Report