WASHINGTON (AFP) ??” The United States insisted that its rebuffed plan to send a high-level mission to Iran had been humanitarian in nature and not political amid confusion through the whole extent of its intent in the Islamic republic.

WASHINGTON (AFP) ??” The United States insisted that its rebuffed plan to send a high-level mission to Iran had been humanitarian in nature and not political amid confusion through the whole extent of its intent in the Islamic republic.

The State Department said the proposal to send out a delegation led by US Senator Elizabeth Dole and possibly a member of President George W Bush's family was entirely tied to last month's devastating earthquake in the city of Bam.

Although the mission would have been the first public official US visit to Iran in nearly 25 years, the department said the proposition was not intended as a political signal.

"We're talking about couple different issues," deputy spokesman Adam Ereli told reporters. "One is the humanitarian mission and the same is better relations with Iran. The sum of two units aren't linked."

"I would specifically delink them," he said when asked about make notess from Iranian officials ...