"Such an idea would avert a looming war in the region," Kharazi said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.

Kharazi unveiled his proposal on Tuesday, calling for reconciliation between Iraq's opposition groups and the current Iraqi regime and a UN-monitored referendum so as to avoid a possible US-led attack on Iraq.

"We should try to prevent the outbreak of a new war by whatever possible means," Kharazi told a gathering on Tuesday.

"We are not intending to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs. We have always reiterated that the Iraqi people have a right to decide on their fate. Thus, if an idea is offered by a certain country, they should not consider it as interference in their internal affairs," he said.

Kharazi also warned the United States of "very unpalatable and destructive consequences" of an attack on Iraq, saying a war against Iraq was not a simple issue, and Americans must know that Iraq is different from Afghanistan.

Iran, which borders Iraq in the west, fears any war on Iraq would lead to the reshaping of regional geopolitical map and eventually pose a threat to its own security.

(Xinhua New Agency March 7, 2003)