This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/8319949.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Israel 'met Iran' at atomic talks | Israel 'met Iran' at atomic talks |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Senior Israeli and Iranian officials have met face-to-face and discussed the threat of nuclear arms, Israel says. | Senior Israeli and Iranian officials have met face-to-face and discussed the threat of nuclear arms, Israel says. |
| Israeli officials told the BBC each side attended panel sessions of a disarmament and non-proliferation conference in Cairo in September. | Israeli officials told the BBC each side attended panel sessions of a disarmament and non-proliferation conference in Cairo in September. |
| Iran had denied the Israeli accounts, but if confirmed it would be the first official exchange between the bitter foes since Iran's 1979 revolution. | Iran had denied the Israeli accounts, but if confirmed it would be the first official exchange between the bitter foes since Iran's 1979 revolution. |
| Israel is believed to have nuclear arms and accuses Iran of seeking them too. | Israel is believed to have nuclear arms and accuses Iran of seeking them too. |
| Representing Israel at the closed-door event at the Four Seasons hotel in the Egyptian capital was the head of arms control at the Israeli Atomic Agency, Meirav Zafary-Odiz, Israeli media reported. | Representing Israel at the closed-door event at the Four Seasons hotel in the Egyptian capital was the head of arms control at the Israeli Atomic Agency, Meirav Zafary-Odiz, Israeli media reported. |
| ANALYSIS Jon Leyne, BBC Tehran correspondent | |
| One expert on Iran once said the Islamic Republic rests on three pillars: "Death to America," "Death to Israel" and "Long live the Hijab" (the Islamic headscarf for women) | |
| "Death to Israel" is the most firmly held tenet of the true believers. Almost any bad news for the Islamic Republic is routinely blamed on "Zionists". | |
| At news conferences abroad, Iran's officials refuse to listen to questions from Israelis, let alone answer them. Its international sports stars do their utmost to avoid competing alongside Israelis. | |
| Iran has dealt with Israel when it has had to, mostly through third parties. In the Iran-Contra affair, it bought Israeli arms via the US. | |
| Nevertheless, the possibility of direct negotiations between Iran and Israel on something as sensitive to both countries as the nuclear issue, appears extremely remote. | |
| Iran's ambassador to the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, was also reportedly at the conference. | Iran's ambassador to the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, was also reportedly at the conference. |
| Reacting to the reports, Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesmen denied any meetings had taken place with Israeli officials. | Reacting to the reports, Iran's atomic energy organisation spokesmen denied any meetings had taken place with Israeli officials. |
| "This lie is a kind of psychological operation designed to affect the constant success of Iran's dynamic diplomacy in the Geneva and Vienna meetings," said Ali Shirzadian in quotes broadcast on Iranian state TV. | "This lie is a kind of psychological operation designed to affect the constant success of Iran's dynamic diplomacy in the Geneva and Vienna meetings," said Ali Shirzadian in quotes broadcast on Iranian state TV. |
| A senior Israeli government official, meanwhile, described it as "preposterous" that the Cairo panel sessions implied any kind of diplomatic contact between Iran and Israel. | A senior Israeli government official, meanwhile, described it as "preposterous" that the Cairo panel sessions implied any kind of diplomatic contact between Iran and Israel. |
| "For years Iran and Israel have participated at the same time in multilateral forums like this," he said, giving the examples of UN agencies, and the IAEA. | "For years Iran and Israel have participated at the same time in multilateral forums like this," he said, giving the examples of UN agencies, and the IAEA. |
| Contacts avoided | Contacts avoided |
| Iran does not recognise Israel and the two sides are frequently involved in exchanging hostile threats and denunciations. | Iran does not recognise Israel and the two sides are frequently involved in exchanging hostile threats and denunciations. |
| At international conferences and sporting events, representatives of the Islamic Republic invariably avoid any contact with their Israeli counterparts. | At international conferences and sporting events, representatives of the Islamic Republic invariably avoid any contact with their Israeli counterparts. |
| Israel's Haaretz newspaper says three panel sessions of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament conference involved exchanges between the Iranian and Israeli delegates. | Israel's Haaretz newspaper says three panel sessions of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament conference involved exchanges between the Iranian and Israeli delegates. |
| The sessions dealt with efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone, non-proliferation in the region and developing peaceful nuclear energy. | The sessions dealt with efforts to make the Middle East a nuclear-free zone, non-proliferation in the region and developing peaceful nuclear energy. |
| In one of the discussions, Haaretz quotes Mr Soltanieh directly asking Ms Zafary-Odiz: "Do you or do you not have nuclear weapons?" | In one of the discussions, Haaretz quotes Mr Soltanieh directly asking Ms Zafary-Odiz: "Do you or do you not have nuclear weapons?" |
| Ms Zafary-Odiz reportedly smiled, but did not respond. | Ms Zafary-Odiz reportedly smiled, but did not respond. |
| The newspaper says the two representatives did not meet separately outside the session or shake hands. | The newspaper says the two representatives did not meet separately outside the session or shake hands. |
| Israel is widely believed to have a stockpile of atomic warheads with delivery systems, but it refuses to confirm or deny their existence and has not signed the international Nuclear Non-Profileration Treaty. | Israel is widely believed to have a stockpile of atomic warheads with delivery systems, but it refuses to confirm or deny their existence and has not signed the international Nuclear Non-Profileration Treaty. |
| The US leads accusations that Iran is engaged in a covert attempt to develop nuclear weapons, although Iran says its nuclear activities are purely for peaceful ends. | The US leads accusations that Iran is engaged in a covert attempt to develop nuclear weapons, although Iran says its nuclear activities are purely for peaceful ends. |