US welcomes call for end to Iran foreign media ban

The United States on Friday welcomed a call from former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani for the lifting of media restrictions imposed in the wake of opposition demonstrations in Iran, AFP reported.

"There are universal principles that we feel are very important here... as Mr Rafsanjani himself reflected today, freedom of the press and the ability of the media to fairly report what is happening there," said State Department spokesman Philip Crowley.

The spokesman carefully avoided making a comment on the ongoing debate over the legitimacy of the disputed Iranian presidential elections, which Rafsanjani and other opposition members believe was rigged in favor of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad.

"You know, obviously, we continue to take stock of what's happening in Iran. This is not for the United States to resolve. This is a debate and a dispute that is going on within Iran," Crowley said.

Rafsanjani, who leads two key institutions affiliated with the Iran regime, used his first public comments since the weeks of public disturbances that followed the disputed June 12 elections to call for the release of hundreds of protestors in detention.

He also called for the lifting of restrictions on local media and foreign outlets, which have been banned from covering the fallout from the contested election results.