AN EU delegation arrived in Tehran yesterday to press home the message that Iran should condemn terrorism if it wants its dialogue with the EU to continue.
Tehran newspapers welcomed the visit but warned any discussion with Europe should be held away from US and Israeli pressure.
Diplomats said the troika of senior officials from Italy, Spain and Ireland would meet the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Akbar Velayati, as well as European ambassadors in the Iranian capital.
In Rome, diplomats said the delegation would tell Iran the future of its dialogue with Europe depended on a firm condemnation of "terrorism".
Two Iranian newspapers welcomed the EU delegation but urged the 15 member group, which is Iran's biggest trade partner, to steer an independent course despite US and Israeli pressures.
"Iran was, is and will be in favour of having warm and cordial relations with Europe as a whole. Iran has a clear line between its relations with Europe and the US," the daily Iran News said.
"The US has adopted a policy of pressure tactics and disinformation campaign against Iran a fact which should be realised and noted by Europe," it said. "Iranian opposition to the so called [Middle East] peace process never means to sabotage or subvert the process."
The English language Tehran Times said the delegation "should try to understand the values and ideals of the Islamic Republic of Iran instead of bowing to the US pressures".
EU member states, many with close trade ties with Iran have faced pressure from Israel and the US to isolate Tehran following the recent suicide bombings by Hamas which killed 58 people in Israel.
Responding to that pressure, EU foreign ministers drew up a common platform at a meeting in Palermo, Italy, on March 10th calling on Iran "to condemn once and for all acts of terrorism, whoever by and for whatever end".
A day later, President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said Iran was ready to "negotiate unconditionally" with the EU. He decried suicide bombings in Israel but declined to condemn Hamas.
Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, last week rejected terrorism charges against Iran but said Tehran would resist any pressures to support the peace process, which he denounced as a "compromise between a lamb and a wolf."
Iran angered Western governments last month when an official Iranian news agency commentary described suicide bombings in Israel as "divine retribution". Tehran said the commentary was not official policy.
The EU delegation, led by the under secretary of the Italian Foreign Ministry, Mr Ludovico Incisa, hopes to continue from Tehran to Tripoli though the visit to Libya, tentatively scheduled for tomorrow, still had to be finalised.
The troika plans to visit Israel, Syria and Lebanon later in April to drive home the EU's message that the Middle East peace process must not be derailed by what it calls terrorism.