Rafsanjani to West: You're small, Iran is large

Group of Eight foreign ministers urged Iran on Friday to suspend uranium enrichment, a call dismissed in Tehran as doublespeak.

Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani slammed what he called the "doublespeak" approach of the superpowers, saying it would lead to failure.

"Today in Japan the members of the G8 group have adopted another resolution to apply a carrot and stick policy," he said in a Friday prayers speech in Tehran broadcast over state radio.

"This type of doublespeak will not help you and will not lead to a solution" to the nuclear problem, he said, addressing the Western powers.

"You are too small to use this type of language. Iran is a large country... the language of dialogue and negotiation must be used," he added.

Rafsanjani, who was defeated by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2005 presidential elections, retains a considerable powerbase as head of both Iran's top arbitration body the Expediency Council, and the elite clerical Assembly of Experts.

'Act in a more responsible manner'

The industrial powers - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States - said they "strongly urge" Iran to cooperate fully with the UN International Atomic Energy Agency.

"We also urge Iran to act in a more responsible and constructive manner in the region, particularly in the context of the Middle East peace process and the stability of Iraq and Afghanistan," said a statement after talks in Japan.

Western powers have been ramping up pressure on Iran for refusing to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment, a process which can be used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons.

On Monday the European Union approved sanctions aimed at operations by Bank Melli, Iran's largest financial institution, in Britain, France and Germany - the three EU countries negotiating with Tehran.