Tehran, July 9, IRNA � The apology of the former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, over Britain's involvement in the Iraqi war is a black mark in the history of the country, says Kamal Kharrazi.


Tony Blair on Wednesday voiced 'sorrow, regret and apology' after a damning report on the Iraq war.

'The apology voiced by Tony Blair is a lesson for other aggressors,' said the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations on Saturday.

I had warned against British involvement in the Iraqi war at the time Blair was the premier, Kharrazi said.

In a meeting also attended by Jack Straw, I told them that you are well aware of the consequences of Britain's involvement in the war in Iraq and you know how the Iraqi people are going to deal with the aggressors, he said.

But Tony Blair smiled a smile of determination and pride showing that they were intended to go on with their plan to attack Iraq, he said.

In another occasion and during the 2003 war, I met Blair and again asked him to pull out British forces from the quagmire they have created in Iraq themselves, Kharrazi said.

'He seemed to be thoughtful and did not answer me, wearing a sign of regret on his face,' he said.

'But following five years of defeat in the face of a strong resistance by the revolutionary Iraqi people in Basra, Britain decided to pull out early,' Kharrazi said.

'And their decision was very hard to swallow for the United States and especially for President George W. Bush,' he said.

The official apology voiced by Blair shows that even the big powers should face the dire consequences of their aggressions, the Iranian official said.

By IRNA