
In this connection, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohammad Javad Zarif, accused the US of breaching the bilateral agreement made in 1981, under which the US undertook not to interfere, directly or indirectly, into Iran's internal affairs.
On April 11, US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that the funding of Iranian non-government organizations does not contradict the terms of the agreement. The US administration insists that allocating money for the promotion of democracy in other countries does not mean interfering into their internal affairs.
According to US authorities, the US has never before financed directly any Iranian non-government organizations or the exiled opposition to the Iranian regime. Nonetheless, US administration is spending about $15 million annually on TV and radio broadcasts targeted on Iran.
As is known, presidential elections will be held in Iran early this summer. The elections may put an end to the period of reformation championed by the present president Mohammad Hatami. In the parliamentary election held in 2004, Iranian conservatives won an overwhelming majority of votes.
One can only guess how the situation will develop. Will the US take advantage of Iran's proclaimed commitment to a peaceful settlement of all foreign policy problems? So far the US has temporarily refrained from a power confrontation with Iran, a course that is strongly advised by Israeli leadership.