TEHRAN, March 12: Iran’s former president Mohammad Khatami made a rare intervention to urge his hard-line successor to compromise and prevent a crisis with world powers over its nuclear programme, reports said on Monday.

Khatami, reformist president from 1997 to 2005, told President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to make concessions over Iran’s controversial atomic drive and avoid a second UN Security Council sanctions resolution.

“I believe we should pay a certain price, and pay it bravely, for talks and not head towards crisis as well as guaranteeing our rights in future,” Khatami told the economic daily Sanaat va Tose’e (Industry and Development) in an interview.“We must try to prevent the adoption of another resolution.” Khatami gave no indication of what the “price” might involve. The United States has repeatedly said negotiations with Iran are only possible if it first suspends sensitive nuclear work, which it has so far steadfastly refused to do.

He also said there was no longer a “taboo” about negotiating with the United States.

“This taboo has been broken, which prepares the ground to solve problems with a lower cost, taking into account the interests of the country,” Khatami told a meeting of journalists later on Monday.

Although Khatami did not mention the president or the government by name, his comments will be seen as a clear warning to Ahmadinejad, who has already been criticised in parliament and the press for his confrontational policies.

Khatami urged Iran to avoid provocations and act with prudence, in marked contrast to Ahmadinejad who has repeatedly vowed in the most graphic language that the nuclear programme will go on.

“We can prevent a crisis with discretion and courage. In nuclear and regional issues, especially Iraq, we should act with prudence and not provoke,” said Khatami, whose comments were reported on the front page of the reformist Ayandeh-No (New Future).—AFP