TEHRAN, June 29: Perplexed by the vitriol of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s attacks on Iran, one lawmaker believes he has uncovered the secret of her enmity — that she was spurned by an Iranian boyfriend at college.

“The reason that the US secretary of state attacks Iran is because she had her heart broken by a young man from Qazvin while they were students,” a confident Shokrollah Attarzadeh was quoted by the ISNA agency as saying.

Somewhat mysteriously, he added: “This is the result of an investigation by a woman MP who cannot be named.”

Qazvin is an unremarkable city 150 kilometres from Tehran, hitherto not known for playing a major role in Iran-US relations, which have been frozen for a quarter of a century.

Attarzadeh did not offer any other details on the alleged affair. Surprising as it may be, amorous explanations for diplomatic machinations are nothing new here.

It was rumoured last year that German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer hardened his tone towards Iran after acquiring a girlfriend who supports the exiled opposition.-—AFP